The changing face of Southwestern University's campus
The changing face of Southwestern University's campus
Written by Shannon Colletti Wednesday, 07 November 2007
167-year-old school continues 10-year plan of growth and renovation
For many, Southwestern University embodies the picture-perfect ideal of what a college campus should look like. On a cool autumn day, students hurry to and from classes held in stark white limestone buildings spread among pristine green lawns and impeccable sidewalks.
But for university president Jake Schrum, there is still much to do to complete Southwestern's Strategic Plan for 2010, an endeavor that began seven years ago.
Recently completed projects consist of the addition of three residence halls and extensive renovations to the fine arts center. A new admission building and Center for Lifelong Learning facility are also in the works. Austin-based Group Two Architects is doing the design for all the facilities.
“I think people should have pride in their campus,” Schrum said. "If we can get people to campus, our chances of recruiting them to come here increase exponentially. We're in the business of inviting people in."
Additional living space
After a year of construction, three residential halls opened earlier this semester, making up the 30,460 sq. ft. Dorothy Manning Residential Center. They add 32 living units, a resident assistant's apartment and a community room to the university.
These join the eight existing residential buildings and four fraternities that provide student housing. They allow about 85 percent of students to live on campus, university spokeswoman Ellen Davis said, adding that university leaders hope eventually to have housing for 95 percent of their students.
Each high-end apartment — total project cost is about $5 million — has a private bedroom and bath; living area; complete kitchen with microwave, refrigerator and stove; wall-to-wall carpeting and special features, such as unique lighting treatments in the kitchens.
Fine Arts Center renovations
The two-year expansion and renovating of the Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center is scheduled to wrap early this month.
The improved building will boast of more space for storage, state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, new seating, an expanded stage, additional offices and practice rooms and an elegant area for displaying student art.
New admission center
Construction is set to begin on the Wilhelmina Cullen Admission Center in December or January 2008. The 9,602 sq. ft. facility’s price tag is estimated at $2.5 million and will be paid for with a gift from the Cullen Trust for Higher Education.
“It’s a destination for prospective students and visitors to come to where we can showcase Southwestern and introduce them to the Southwestern experience,” said Bob Mathis, associate vice president for campus services.
He also said the facility will be LEED certified. This means it will adhere to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System, a nationally accepted standard for the design, construction and operation of high-performance, green buildings.
“LEED pertains to two things,” Mathis said, “sustainability, which is the types of products and chemicals you use, and the energy design and efficiency. It’s a balance; we model the building, and then come back with the best way to accomplish those systems.”
Expected completion is December 2008 or January 2009.
Center for Lifelong Learning
The Charles & Elizabeth Prothro Center for Lifelong Learning will be three stories that total 40,203 sq. ft.
Construction begins early next summer and is expected to take 18 months.
The project will cost about $11 million, with funding coming from various donors.
“We went through a nine-month planning process for that building, looking at all of the spaces and departments on campus and the planned renovations,” Mathis said. “We studied the needs and growth areas and came back with [several] departments that would move into the building.”
These departments include career services, Center for Academic Success, registrar’s office, health and counseling services, intercultural learning, the Paideia program (launched in 2002 and integrates in-class and out-of-class academic and non-academic experiences) and information technology services.
Moving these departments frees up space in several existing buildings, such as the Cullen building, Mood-Bridwell Hall, Corbin J. Robertson Center and the library.
“The primary focus really was this: to create a building that provided academic services to the students in one place ... with the added benefit of freeing up space in the other buildings,” Mathis said.
Prothro Center for Lifelong Learning
The Strategic Plan for 2010 includes several campus improvements:
- new admission center
- new Center for Lifelong Learning
- recently renovated and expanded fine arts center
- completion of an apartment-style complex
- plans to re-route Maple Street
- visions for improving and preserving the historical Cullen building
Moving Maple Street
University and city officials plan to reroute Maple Street, which currently runs north-south on the west side of campus, by moving the road off campus for the safety of the students.
“Maple Street is shown on the overall transportation plan to eventually link up to the Inner Loop,” said Bob Mathis, associate vice president for facilities and campus services.
Mathis said the university’s original concept was to close Maple Street and make Southwestern Boulevard a loop. Neighbors, however, were concerned that doing so might divert traffic into their respective areas. The compromise was to move the street west.
“It really is a safety and traffic issue,” Mathis said.
He added that the university is still working with the city on contracts, and construction would happen no sooner than mid-2009.
Cost of attending Southwestern University
First-class amenities do not come cheap. For the 1,294 students enrolled at Southwestern — about 19 percent of whom come from Central Texas — tuition and room and board can total up to $34,805 per year. To offset costs, University spokeswoman Ellen Davis said, nearly 52 percent of students get need-based financial aid that averages to almost $18,000 per year.
Roy and Lillie Cullen Building preservation
Many consider the most recognizable landmark on Southwestern’s campus to be the Roy and Lillie Cullen Building. In April, officials announced that the facility will get $6 million from the Cullen Trust for Higher Education for renovations.
Originally constructed between 1898 and 1900, the Cullen Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was first know as the “Admin Building” and has always been used for much more than administration — for example, it held the school’s original chapel that doubled as an auditorium.
The structure was renamed after Roy and Lillie Cullen in 1977 when funds from the Cullen Foundation of Houston enabled its first major renovation.
Once the new Center for Lifelong Learning is finished and room is made in the Cullen Building, university officials can turn their attention toward its renovations. Spokeswoman Ellen Davis said these will include upgrading the building’s mechanical and electrical systems, replacing all 300 windows, making it ADA compliant and constructing a 1,300 sq. ft. gallery dedicated to the school’s history.
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