EAST LANSING, Mich. — After a year of restoration efforts, Michigan State University's oldest residence hall is ready to welcome students.
Mary Mayo Hall, located on West Circle Drive, was built in 1931. The $12 million restoration included several system and safety upgrades, window replacements and an updated student living and commons areas.
Vennie Gore, assistant vice president for residential and hospitality services, said students will enjoy a blend of old and new. From new flooring to new paint to new furniture, the building's architectural integrity has been preserved; but amenities have been updated.
MSU's campus contains 26 residence halls, for a total of 6 million square feet of residential space. Combined, residence halls maintain nearly 250,000 square feet of dedicated academic space including classrooms, offices and program space. The newest residence hall (Holden) was completed in 1967.
Mayo's restoration is just one leg of MSU's mission to provide a 21st century learning experience, where the building of residential communities — and identities — is key to a successful academic experience. In other words, students learn where they live, Gore said.
"The transformation of the nation's largest single-campus residential system, over time, will build academic transparency from the student's view," Gore said. "We have to transform lives on a much larger scale than many institutions. We are generating momentum because getting students actively engaged builds a 21st century, global society."
Gore said the neighborhood concept, in which students make connections, network in restaurant-style dining halls and utilize in-residence academic resources, will define the transformation. The newly renovated Owen Hall, which houses mostly graduate students, is a prime example, offering the new Riverwalk Marketplace, a computer area, community kitchen and group study spaces.
On Sept. 2, MSU will launch the First Year Experience, a pilot program for 600 students in West Holden Hall. Students will have in-residence access to academic resources, such as tutoring, academic counseling and workshops. Mentors — one per 35 students — will help students develop academic goals, stay connected and create a plan for the following year. By 2011, FYE will expand to four halls.
For more information about MSU's residence halls, visit www.hfs.msu.edu. For more information about FYE, visit www.fye.msu.edu.
Residential Experience for Spartan Engineering
The College of Engineering has successfully launched the first stages of its Residential Experience for Spartan Engineering, a living-learning community that immerses students in the process of becoming 21st-century engineers.
Through a Cornerstone Engineering program, beginning with their first course as freshmen, students are exposed to real-world, hands-on design challenges and critical issues in engineering. The program features learning communities focused on global issues such as energy, transportation and sustainability.
This fall, the residential component that was previously in Bailey Hall will be relocated to Wilson Hall. This move will allow the residential program to expand from 150 freshman engineering students to about 300 of an expected 760 engineering freshmen.
###