University architects and University Housing settled on a location, building structure and a general time frame for the student housing project on Centennial Campus at a meeting Wednesday morning.  “We know where it will be — inside ‘the oval,’ that it will house approximately 1,200 beds like Wolf Village and that it will be apartment style,” Tim Luckadoo, associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs. “They will be targeted towards sophomores and upperclassmen because even freshman engineering students have the majority of their classes on main campus.” According to Luckadoo, the University has conducted a study to address the need for student housing on Centennial Campus.  “[University Housing] hired an architectural company to do a study based on the need for housing on West Campus, Centennial and Greek Village,” said Luckadoo. “We have to study what students want as well as other local projects. We have to make sure we are competitive because nobody has to live on campus, so we are doing a lot of background work right now and moving towards making some decisions in the spring- when, how much, etc. In general terms we can look forward to seeing buildings up in 3 to 5 years.” Student housing on Centennial Campus would allow for students who normally commute from main campus to be within walking distance of all of their classes said Luckadoo.  “I think the proximity is what will really sell this project,” Luckadoo said. “I know students have a lot of late night assignments so being able to work late into the night and then being able to walk only a few feet home or to the new library would benefit many students.” Even students who are not involved with engineering or textiles will be able to benefit from the project, he said.  “We are working with the living and learning villages to potentially host a few in the new buildings,” Luckadoo said. “There is the possibility of a partnership between the enterpeurship program that currently works with our Engineering department, and the engineers for a village. We may also have a strictly engineering or textiles village.” Sammi Mandani, a freshman in English education said she would consider living on Centennial Campus regardless of the inconvenience of transportation.  “I would live on Centennial Campus simply for the experience,” Mandani said. “As an education major having the opportunity to live around people who major in subjects so different from my own would benefit me in my future classroom. I will be teaching students of diverse interests and learning how to handle these social situations now would provide me with more understanding of the science oriented or artistic mind in the classroom.” Diversity of majors has been considered in the plans, Luckadoo said.  “Engineering and Textile majors will naturally want to live here because of the proximity,” said Luckadoo. “It would probably be good if we had other majors living there as well. It would give them more intellectual diversity.” Michael Wiggins, freshman in computer science, said he is enthusiastic to have dorms in a different part of campus.  “It would be based a lot closer to the classrooms and the professors,” Wiggins said. “You would be able to access information a lot easier, and you would be surrounded by other engineering majors making it easier to connect with your peers.” Wiggins also said that the proximity would weigh heavily on his decision to live on Centennial Campus. “Once your main engineering classes start I think it would be a lot more convenient, and it would make it a lot easier than traveling and catching a bus,” said Wiggins. “Right now we worry about a bus being off schedule or missing a bus and being late to class because of it. You can just walk and still make it to class.” Luckadoo said transportation was being considered as a result of this project. “The staff at the Department of Transportation are studying the long-range effects and understand that the bigger Centennial Campus gets the more shuttles we’ll need,” Luckadoo said. “They have created a plan so that the main shuttle will go through and make a stop in Greek Village. They are figuring out how to get students back and forth between classes.”People have talked about the possibility of a monorail being built on Centennial Campus, but Luckadoo said for now that is far too expensive.  “Until then we are improving our bus system to keep up with enrollment growth,” he said. There are other developments continuing around Centennial Campus, from the opening of the golf course in the spring to the construction of Hunt Library, said Luckadoo.  “Our University has needed more library space for a while due to enrollment growth,” said Luckadoo. “It will be in the oval along with the housing and dining. There will be an open lawn in the center creating its own sort of small campus. There is even talk about putting in a few recreational fields. Centennial Campus is really being developed and it will become a really special place as it continues to grow for the next 30 to 40 years.”