Hillsdale College kicked off more than $20 million worth of renovations this summer, improving residence halls and academic buildings and breaking ground on the much-anticipated Searle Center.
In addition, freshmen and returning students arrived to campus-wide Wi-Fi, a modernized athletic facility, and new locations to study and socialize.
Construction on the Searle Center, the college’s largest project, began this summer and is still in progress. The administration estimates the total costs of the new center at more than $10 million and expects completion at the end of August 2015.
The new center, located on the back of the Dow Leadership Hotel and Conference Center along West Street will feature a dining room with seating for over 700 people, improved bathrooms, and an expansive lobby complete with escalator and elevator.
“This dining room will provide an opportunity to host larger events that we are not currently equipped to host and will be a great option to the student dining room for formal events,” Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé said.
Péwé said he is excited to see groundbreaking for the center’s auditorium, which will start as soon as the $4.3 million dollars can be raised. The new auditorium will be double the size of the current one located in the Dow Center’s Markel Auditorium.
For the first time since 1961, renovations to Olds Residence’s lobby were completed, with the college replacing the carpet and furniture and removing some walls that opened space for the lobby residents.
The old girls-only room comprising the left side of the lobby was renovated to a kitchen, complete with counters, tables, a booth for eating, and a dishwasher.
“I’ve heard a lot of positive feedback from the freshmen and I’m excited to see how they all use the space in the upcoming year,” Olds Head Resident Assistant Naomi Virnelson said.
The renovations should provide students with new means to mingle with other students and build friendships.
Simpson Residence received new air conditioning and heating, hardwood floors in rooms, new bathroom sets, and two new kitchens and lounges. Outdoor improvements include a patio and outside seating area coming at the end of the semester to increase student socialization.
“Renovations to Simpson will transform the dorm into a place that can better accommodate the kind of culture and activity that promotes the moral and intellectual virtues,” Péwé said.
While the improvements to Simpson are a step up for the residence, some faulty equipment has caused the RAs trouble, they said. Not all of the construction was completed in August, with toilets and showers backing up, Wi-Fi outages, and problems with cable TV for residents.
RAs have stepped up through the changes, however, and continue to help residents both adapt to the renovations and deal with the problems.
“The RAs have been fantastic,” Andrew Reuss, Simpson Residence head RA, said. “Matt O’Sullivan, the other head RA, and I have asked the residents to help work with us through the changes and they’ve been up to the task every time.”
Kendall Hall’s attic, previously a storage room for admissions, is now a floor of nine offices for full-time faculty and two seminar rooms. These offices were built in anticipation of new teachers, regarding the college administration’s goals of reducing the current 9:1 student-to-teacher ratio and improving the quality of classes.
“The addition of the seminar rooms will help with the demand for smaller classrooms,” Péwé said.
With new spaces in which to work, build relationships, and relax, Péwé said the renovations help achieve some of the goals of the college.
