Kennesaw State Breaks Ground For New Residence Hall

Press release from Kennesaw State University:

Jan 22, 2021

Kennesaw State breaks ground for new residence hall

KENNESAW, Ga.
(Jan 22, 2021) — Kennesaw State University officials broke ground Friday for a residence hall that
will house more than 500 students on the Kennesaw Campus.

The 508-bed, 109,388-square-foot building will provide another housing option for Kennesaw State’s growing student population as well as promote connections
among the campus community, particularly for first-year students. Scheduled to open
for the Fall 2022 semester, the new residence hall will be built on the south end
of the Kennesaw Campus adjacent to the existing Austin Residence Complex.

“This addition to campus reflects our commitment that Kennesaw State is not simply
the university our students attend, but where they feel at home,” said KSU President
Pamela Whitten. “We see evidence every year that students who live on campus, particularly
first-year students, tend to transition to college life more effectively, become more
involved at their school and build deeper connections with both their fellow students
and faculty members.”

New residence hall groundbreaking ceremony.

Kennesaw State is now Georgia’s second-largest university, with an enrollment of more
than 41,000 students. That includes a record enrollment of nearly 8,300 freshmen,
giving KSU the largest freshman class enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs in the
state.

To address that growth, the new residence hall is the second major construction project
to begin in the past 12 months. A 143,000-square-foot Academic Learning Center – with
20 classrooms, six seminar rooms, a multi-purpose lecture hall, and computer and other
specialized labs – is set to open on the Kennesaw Campus this fall.

The residence hall will have two-bedroom and four-bedroom suites along with study
spaces, lounge areas and a grab-and-go market. Those amenities are designed to foster
students’ engagement with other on-campus residents and the broader campus community,
to help them feel connected to the University and in turn remain at Kennesaw State
through graduation.

“Kennesaw State is striving to accommodate all students who wish to live on campus,”
Whitten said. “We want every student to make the most of their time at KSU, and for
many students that means enjoying the living and learning experience on campus.”

One of those students is senior , who has lived on campus for all four of her years at Kennesaw State. Lasha lived
in University Village as a freshman, became a resident assistant there the following year and now is the
senior resident assistant overseeing the team of RAs in University Village.

Lasha spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony, where she shared that living on campus
helped her make friends and feel at home at Kennesaw State, and being an RA developed
her leadership, communication and organizational skills. She appreciates that an increasing
number of Owls will have those same opportunities.

“KSU has provided me with many wonderful opportunities and experiences, and I'm so
glad many more people will get the chance to soar as well,” said Lasha, a journalism and emerging media major. “Living on campus my first year was a grand part of my college experience.
Having a fulfilling freshman year inspired me to become an RA so I could build relationships
with my residents and help them have the same awesome experiences I’ve had.”

– Paul Floeckher

Photos by Jason Getz

Related Stories

• Zuckerman Museum of Art debuts new exhibitions

• Kennesaw State Celebrates Birla Carbon Scholars

• Three Minute Thesis Competition Allows Architecture Students to Showcase Research

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 41,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the second-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 126 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.

This press release was produced by Kennesaw State University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.