JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - New dormitories are going up at the University of Alaska Southeast campus in Juneau, and officials hope it will help retain more college students in the capital city.
Concrete should begin pouring this week for the 31,000-square-foot freshman dormitory project.
The $14 million project, which the Legislature provided $8 million, will feature two, four-story towers with a commons area. University officials said proceeds from the sale of the Bill Ray Center also will be put toward the freshman residence hall project.
It will be completed in two phases. The first tower should be completed by July, with an expected November 2014 completion date for the second tower.
The new dorms, located near Auke Lake, across from the Noyes Pavilion, will provide space for 120 freshmen.
Chancellor John Pugh said once completed, the college will be able to find a new use for the current 84-bed freshman hall.
“This will give us an opportunity to reprogram those beds for our sophomores and juniors or maybe use the space for some kind of special programming or educational opportunities,’’ Pugh said.
Adding housing for students is part of a longterm plan to recruit a more diverse student body. It will allow students who otherwise wouldn’t move to Juneau, because of the tight and expensive housing market, to be able to attend the university to study disciplines like marine biology or environmental science.
“Subsidized housing will allow us to retain full-time students here in Juneau,’’ Pugh said. “It’s a game-changer in that way.’’
Some students might also move to the larger University of Alaska campuses in Anchorage or Fairbanks, but Pugh hopes by expanding housing opportunities in Juneau will change that.
He also would like to secure funding next year to hire a student success coordinator, a person who would help students who are new to Juneau to connect with the community and help them adapt to college life.
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