The University’s tallest and most well-known dorm might not have tenants in the fall. Incoming freshmen will be assigned to Kirby-Smith Hall only after all other residence halls are filled because of a decrease in the number of students applying to live on campus. “With our number of applicants, we’re assigning all [other] spaces and not assigning Kirby’s just yet,” said Mimi LaValle, communications manager for the Department of Residential Life. LaValle said it’s hard to tell what the exact situation will be in the fall for the dormitory because room assignments are added and dropped daily. “We really don’t know what our final application stats will be of people living on campus,” she said. The decision to hold off assigning students to Kirby-Smith was made after the department looked at where students reapplied to live on campus this fall. A very low number reapplied to live in Kirby-Smith. Brian Waddell, business administration sophomore, said he didn’t reapply to live in the dormitory because it’s just too crowded. “It’s too difficult to keep clean and there are too many guys in one place,” he said. The financial ramifications of the decision are unknown at this point. Current rates for a two-student room in Kirby-Smith are $2,085 per student per semester, making the dorm one of the most expensive residence halls on campus aside from the residential college facilities. LaValle said she believes University staff members who worked in the dorm won’t be affected by its vacancy. She said Residential Life will likely transfer Kirby-Smith’s workers to other residence halls. Kirby-Smith has served primarily as a freshman, all-male dormitory. The dorm was constructed in 1965 under Chancellor Cecil G. Taylor. Its 702 spaces make it the largest residence hall on campus. LaValle said with fall freshman orientation beginning this week, it’s possible that more incoming freshmen will apply to live on campus. In that case, the dorm would be used to house students for the fall. “Hopefully they’ll all want to live on campus,” she said. “And we’ll be busting at the seams.” LaValle said the dorm would not be closing permanently in the fall. The University is still pondering what will be done with the building in the fall if it is not in use. “There’re several options being considered by the University, but no decision has been made,” said Steven Waller, associate director of facilities maintenance for the Department of Residential Life. Some students said they don’t want Kirby-Smith to close permanently, but said it does need improvement. “I don’t think it would be a good idea to close it permanently,” said Brian Carter, a finance junior who lived in the dorm in fall 2004. “Maybe for renovations or something like that.” One problem he said he had with the dorm is its lack of friendliness. “It doesn’t have as much of a community feel as other dorms do,” Carter said. Emmett David, director of facility development, said there are no construction plans in the works for the dormitory. “In the next 12 months, there are no planned renovations for Kirby-Smith,” he said. Waddell said he sees some specific areas where work could be done. “The elevators need to be made more dependable,” he said. LaValle said renovations are scheduled for the dorm in the future as part of the campus-wide master plan. Currently Blake Hall is undergoing renovations outlined in the plan. After work on Blake Hall is completed, renovations on West Laville Hall will start in spring 2008. When improvements to West Laville are finished during summer 2009, work on East Laville will begin.
Contact Tyler Batiste at [email protected]