PNW is counting on the construction of a new residence hall to end overcrowded dorms.
The new 42,000-square-foot building will be built at the northwest corner of 173rd Street, just south of Lawshe Hall in Hammond. The new residence hall will cost $29 million, a self-financed project by PNW. Construction is scheduled to begin next summer and is expected to be completed by fall 2026.
When it opens, a three-story dorm will provide 150 beds with a combination of single and double rooms, student study areas, and lounges.
“There’s [historically been] a small waitlist of students who want to live on campus but are not able to each Fall semester, and it has been growing each year,” said Rachel Jones, director of Housing and Residential Education at PNW. “We are also seeing an increase in students interested in living on campus, particularly among our international students and student-athletes.
“Housing is usually able to find lodging on campus for everyone on the waitlist, but we do see some students making other living arrangements because they couldn’t get into on-campus housing,” she said. “This past year, we switched 32 additional rooms to double rather than single occupancy to accommodate the need, and all of those beds were filled when we opened in August.”
Currently, the university can accommodate 750 students in its two existing residence halls, Peregrine and Griffin. Jones said approximately 96% of first-year students live in the residence halls.
“The new building … ensures we can meet the growing needs of our student body to find a safe and supportive place to live,” she said.
The university’s residence halls also offer athletes – who must live on campus – easy access to facilities.
“Student-athletes, especially when their sport is in season, are expected to be on campus sometimes at early or late hours, making travel to and from campus more difficult. They also find it easier to access training facilities if they are staying near campus throughout the year,” Jones said.
For international and other students, dorm life offers opportunities to make friends.
“Living in dorms gives you opportunities to make many connections because many students are just meters from you so you can share moments with them and make friends,” said Augusto Ruiz, a winger on the men’s soccer team who came from Argentina to enroll at PNW. “The dorms could help me to know people and feel comfortable with my new life.”
Freshman Juanita Pointer agreed.
“The dorm helped me make connections by providing events where you can socialize, and make beneficial friendships,” said Pointer, a Cybersecurity major. “I decided to live on campus to have my independence. Living on campus gives me a sense of privacy especially, being able to have a space where I can study.”
Pointer also believes dorm life can help students become their own person.
“The dorms give me a space to be myself, as well as have the feeling of transitioning into the real world,” she said.