Students on the UW-Madison campus this summer find themselves yelling over the sound of jackhammers and walking around temporary fences seemingly everywhere they go. As they ponder whether it's worth the investment to purchase their own hard hat, they ask, ""What is all this construction about?""
Much is due to the University Housing's Master Plan for Construction and Renovation, which is UW-Madison's project to improve and modernize residence halls and dining facilities.
The Master Plan addresses a shortage of housing available to students. Current facilities are unable to offer on-campus housing for entire freshman classes.
According to the Master Plan, UW-Madison's housing capacity is 28 percent smaller than the Big Ten average and all other Big Ten schools guarantee freshman-year housing.
Residence halls designated for renovation will undergo improvements similar to those completed in Chadbourne Hall. These renovations include the installation of central air conditioning and improvements to electrical and heating systems.
More cosmetic improvements, such as the expansion and renovation of common areas and lobby spaces, are meant to ""enhance the living experience"" in Sellery and Witte Hall. Witte is currently under construction.
The project also calls for the construction of new residence halls. The new Lakeshore Development is on pace for completion by 2013. Ogg and Smith Hall in Southeast have already been completed.
Modernization and improvement of housing food facilities is also a priority in the Master Plan. A multistory Gordon Dining and Event Center, currently in its initial phase, will replace the aging Gordon Commons, built in 1965. Upon the center's opening in the summer of 2012, the old Gordon Commons will be demolished and replaced with open green space.
Other dining areas, such as Carson's Gulley and Holt Commons, will be extensively renovated rather than replaced. The Lakeshore Development will include a dining venue.
All projects in the plan are funded with room and board revenue, and costs are spread over 20 and 30-year periods.
The plan's design and objectives were shaped in part by the findings of a report presented by UW-Madison's Office of the Provost in 2006, entitled, ""The ‘Housing Effect' on First-Year Outcomes."" According to the study, meant to examine the role of housing in the social and academic integration of freshmen to college, freshmen living in University Housing are more likely to perform better academically than their classmates living off-campus, a factor that contributes to higher second-year retention rates among students who have lived in University Housing.
