The University of Rhode Island student senate learned about plans for on campus living, passed three bills for new organizations and elected an academics committee chair.
Plans for on-campus living involve the construction of two undergraduate dorms and renovations for first-year halls, according to Thomas Cooley, associate vice president for student affairs.
The north building will be 100,000 square feet and the south building will be 514 square feet, according to Cooley. Both are apartment style, with two and four-person dorms. The dorms include a kitchen, single bedrooms and multiple bathrooms for residents.
The first building is set to be finished by fall 2027 and the second building by fall 2028, according to Cooley. Construction will begin in July, with three sites working at the same time.
“It’s an exciting time for the university,” Cooley said. “It’s an exciting time for us.”
In the entrance to the first building, there will be a market for students who live in Garrahy Hall, Wiley Hall, Brookside Hall and the new buildings to buy food, according to Cooley. The market will look like the Hope Commons Corner Store, except it will include deli meat and fresh produce.
A wellness space and a housing space will be included in the common area for the dorms, according to Cooley. In the wellness space, students can relax and de-stress with bright colored furniture and wide windows. For the house space, people can hold events for students to socialize with each other.
“Little by little, a little becomes a lot,” Cooley said.
Besides the two buildings, there will be renovations and upgrades to existing dorms, according to Cooley. Adams Hall has new thermostats and the common areas were redone in Fayerweather Hall and Gorham Hall with new seating arrangements.
After the presentation, the senate discussed three bills to recognize new student organizations. The first, Influence Campus Ministry, helps students explore their faith; the second, The Garden, demonstrates love for Jesus; and the third, the Collegiate Recovery Program, builds a community for people in recovery. All were passed unanimously.
The collegiate recovery program is located on the bottom floor of the Memorial Union, according to Student Organization Committee Chair Jason Milner. The program tries to support the recovery population by hosting Alcohol Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous style meetings and art and yoga. They have lots of support off-campus as well, something that is a national program as well.
“We are pretty into the mission,” Milner said. “They add a lot to our campus population in a beautiful space to work with.”
Afterwards, the senate elected Jackson Troxell as the new Academic Committee Chair in a 14-14 tie, broken by President Meilin Reyes.
The student senate will meet again Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in Memorial Union Room 300.
