Living in a community of people who have similar interests is important to making connections at a new university, according to Kelsi Nagle, recruitment coordinator for University Housing.
“I think it encourages people to get invested and involved in their community when they have that connection,” Nagle said.
As a result, Nagle said themed communities such as the fine arts community in the residence halls are a great fit for many students.
Any student interested in the fine arts will have the opportunity to live in a community of people that share their interests, Nagle said, but for the 2014-2015 academic year that community will move across campus for the first time.
“What we’re hoping to build is similar to Targhee,” Nagle said. “It’ll be a community that combines fine arts with a traditional residence hall experience.”
Historically the fine arts community in the residence halls has been housed in Targhee — a smaller residence hall on the South side of campus. However, with a need for temporary office space as a result of construction in the College of Education, the residents of Targhee will be placed on the fourth floor of the Stevenson Wing in the Wallace Residence Center.
“One of the biggest benefits of this is more space so we’ll actually be able to have more students in that community,” Nagle said. “It’ll also provide a better mix for students because although they’ll still be living in a fine arts community, they won’t be so isolated. They’ll still be able to enjoy the fine arts but they’ll get to experience campus and be closer to university resources such as Bob’s.”
Nagle said the community will be a co-ed community for first year through graduate level students. She said the only requirement is an interest in the fine arts and students do not have to be pursuing a degree in one of those fields.
“We work closely with the Lionel Hampton School of Music, Art and Architecture and the Virtual Technology and Design program to bring those students in,” Nagle said. “But really you just have to have an interest in the fine arts.”
While the decision to move the Targhee residents across campus came as a surprise to many, Nagle said she thinks it will be a positive thing for those students.
Nagle said because the community will now be housed in Wallace, students will have to purchase one of the standard meal plans for living in Wallace because there is not adequate kitchen space accommodate cooking in the hall. When the community was housed in Targhee students had access to a full kitchen and were offered alternative meal plan options to those housed in the other residence halls.
Nagle said the Targhee move came suddenly and as a result not many incoming students know about the opportunity, but she said University Housing will recruit students during Vandal Friday where they can sign up to live in the new fine arts community in Wallace.
She said that although the community will no longer be isolated, University Housing is looking at ways to incorporate strategic programming for the fine arts community as well as keep practice rooms and times available for music and theatre majors.
“We’ll be asking students what they want to see in terms of programming and practice space,” Nagle said. “Our biggest goal is to improve the community. It’s predominately a first-year community but we’re hoping with the move to get older students to live there and act as mentors for the younger students in the community.”
Kaitlyn Krasselt can be reached at [email protected]