New Dorm a Milestone In Urbana University's Progress

Taking part in the ceremonial ground-breaking for a new residence hall at Urbana University are (left to right) Bill Williams, representing Levin and Porter Associates Inc., the project architect; Deborah Hill Grimes, University Trustee and a member of the Board's Building and Grounds Committee; Matt Humble, representing Humble Construction Company of West Liberty, the general contractor; students Kyle Wunderlich, Jennifer May and Tara Zimmerman; Dr. Robert Head, President of Urbana University; and William Edwards, chairman of the Urbana University Board of Trustees.

Commenting that "construction is one bi-product of progress and vitality," Dr. Robert L. Head, President of Urbana University, led the official ground-breaking of a new residence hall, the eighth built to house students on the Urbana campus.

Excavation of the site of the two-story, T-shaped dormitory has already begun. Constructed at an estimated cost of $3 million, the residence hall is scheduled for completion next summer, in time to house students attending Urbana University in the fall of 2004.

"This is another milestone in the life of our university," Dr. Head said. Noting that the construction of the Lewis and Jean Moore Center for Mathematics and Science, the Francis E. Hazard Residence Hall, and the renovation of Barclay and Bailey halls "were major moves for this institution," the University President said, "These facilities and our commitment to excellence are truly the remarkable stories of today's Urbana University."

"Our growth is realized from the dedicated service of our faculty, staff, and our Board of Trustees, and the confidence bestowed upon all of us by the students and their families who seek our values-based education," Dr. Head added.

Speaking on behalf of the Board of Trustees was William G. Edwards, Board Chairman.

"The Board of Trustees is committed to not only expanding and strengthening our academic programs, but to improving and upgrading our physical plant as well," he said. "As you look around the campus, the results of this effort are very apparent."

Sycamore Hall incorporates into its architecture the same arch design found on other campus buildings, such as Hazard Residence Hall

Jennifer May, President of the Urbana University Student Government Association, said the students are excited to see new developments on campus. She noted that she has seen many campus improvements in the two and one-half years she has attended Urbana.

"With the construction of the new dorm, it will greatly improve the appearance of our campus while also providing increased housing, which in turn will increase the appeal of our campus to prospective students," she said. "With this construction, hopefully we will have many prospective students wanting to become members of the Urbana University campus."

Taking part in the ceremonial ground-breaking were Bill Williams, representing Levin and Porter Associates Inc., the project architect; Deborah Hill Grimes, University Trustee and a member of the Board's Building and Grounds Committee; Matt Humble, representing Humble Construction Company of West Liberty, the general contractor; Dr. Head; Mr. Edwards; and students Kyle Wunderlich, Tara Zimmerman and Miss May.

In his remarks, Dr. Head expressed appreciation to Champaign National Bank, Citizens National Bank, Peoples Savings Bank and Perpetual Federal Savings Bank "for their equal participation" in the new residence hall project.

All the dorm rooms in Sycamore Hall will have broadband Internet connections and digital telephones that work through the campus computer network

Located between the Warren G. Grimes Community Center and South Residence Hall, the new dormitory will be equipped with ample spaces for both living and learning, Dr. Head said.

A new conference room is planned for the residence hall. This will replace the current Presidents Dining Room as a meeting facility. The Presidents Dining Room, which is located off of the cafeteria, will be converted to additional cafeteria space to accommodate a growing student population on the campus.

The residence hall is being built in response to significant growth in enrollment. Urbana University began the current academic year with an approximate 11 percent increase in Day Division students. Day Division students are traditional-age students who live on campus or commute and attend classes predominantly during mornings and afternoons.

The new residence hall is the second built in the past five years on the Urbana campus. The Francis E. Hazard Residence Hall was completed and opened to students at the start of the 2000-01 academic year.