Nevada’s Growing Student Population Prompts New Resident Halls

Nevada’s Growing Student Population Prompts New Resident Halls

21 October 2014

RENO, Nev. – The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) is constructing additional residence halls on campus in order to accomodate the rapidly growing student population. The newest dorm is scheduled to open next fall and there are plans to demolish an old dorm, as well as change the use of the two most historic dorms on campus.

The student population at UNR has gone up from 15,950 in Fall 2004 to 19,425 in Fall 2014. This jump has forced the university to make big changes in on-campus housing. There are currently nine residence halls on the campus and all of them are full.

Peavine Hall is scheduled to open to students for the Fall 2015 semester.

Studies have shown that students who live on campus are more likely to be successful in college and eventually graduate. This information, and the idealized lifestyle that comes with living at your university, has helped drive more freshmen to want to live on campus during their first year in college.

In order to keep up with demand, the university has been doubling up residents in Juniper hall, meant to be single rooms, and putting three to a room in Argenta Hall, which is designed for two per room. Two years ago the Nevada Living Learning Community was opened, a freshman-exclusive dorm where students are sorted by major.

Peavine Hall is scheduled to open next fall, it is currently under construction and is located between Sierra and Argenta Halls. It will feature suite-style rooms, much like White Pine hall, which was deemed no longer livable two years ago, and is set to be demolished by the end of Fall 2015. The new building will be able to accommodate 400 students.

White Pine hall, constructed in 1962, is set to be demolished by the end of Fall 2015.

Manzanita and Lincoln halls, the two oldest dorms on campus, will no longer be used as residence halls after June 2015, when the spring semester ends. They were originally scheduled to be torn down, but after protest from community members they will be turned into offices and preserved as historic buildings.

Contacts for more information:

-Jonny Grenier, Resident director for Whipple, (775) 784-1113

-Scot Orchard, University Project Manager (775) 682-7185

-Jerry Marczynski, Vice President for Student Life Services (775) 784-6196