Tag Archives: New Residence Hall

Alumni, EVENTS, FACULTY, Featured, NEWS, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU President Glover pleased with progress of new residence hall set to open in the fall  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover says she is very pleased with the pace of construction of the new 700-bed ultra-modern residence hall that is scheduled to open in the fall.    

The new residence hall is situated between Eppse Hall and the Performing Arts Center on the main campus. (Photo by Aaron Grayson, TSU Media Relations)

 The president toured the massive facility on the main campus on Feb. 3, accompanied by the project management team and senior administrative staff. She said not only is the project ahead of schedule, but she is also impressed by the cutting-edge technology and the types of amenities students will enjoy in the building.    

  “This is an exciting time for Tennessee State University and for our students coming in the fall,” Glover said. ‘They will be coming to a facility that is student centered, academically centered, and socially centered. It is just what the students need to study and excel. So, I am very appreciative of what I see today.”    

A rendering of one of the students’ recreation areas in the new residence hall. (Submitted)

 TSU officials have said the new residence hall, estimated at $75.3 million, and the first new residence hall on the campus in nearly 25 years, is indicative of TSU’s growth and desire to create a better living and learning environment for students. It will house lower and upperclassmen in a mixed living community that offers multiple upscale living, dining, recreational and leisure concepts.    

 “I think that this new addition is really good for the campus,” said Travion Crutcher, a senior mechanical engineering major from Huntsville, Alabama, who is a student ambassador. “That will help a lot with recruitment, and when we are talking to students about coming to TSU.” 

 Aaliyah Doss, a sophomore agricultural sciences major from Chicago, agreed.     

President Glover receives a briefing on the new construction during a tour of the facility. From left are: Dr. Glover; Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Frank Stevenson; Executive Director of Student Housing and Residence Life Brent Dukhie; Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff, Dr. Curtis Johnson; and Chief Project Manager George Herring. (Photo by Aaron Grayson, TSU Media Relations)

“I lived in Epps Hall my freshman year and now in Rudolph Hall. They are not bad, but they are outdated,” said Doss. “This new building will definitely give the campus a great look and make lots of students want to come to TSU.”     

Dr. Curtis Johnson, chief of staff and associate vice president; Frank Stevenson, associate vice president for student affairs; George Herring, chief project manager; and Brent Dukhie, executive director of student housing and residence life, accompanied Dr. Glover on the recent tour.    

“We are excited that we are on schedule to get this facility opened and able to accommodate the students in ways that we have not been able to do in the past,” Johnson said. “This particular facility is designed to be a city or community for the students. The intent is for the students to be able to do almost everything they need to do without having to go across campus.”     

Stevenson, who is also dean of students, lauded the progress of the project as well. “We started this five years ago by adding it to the campus strategic plan, and our partners on this have been amazing in working diligently to make sure we meet our target date,” he said. “We are excited about that, and what this space will mean for students as they experience campus life here at TSU.”  

As for living arrangements, the new residence hall has a variety of room types for students and employees. Among them, four-bedroom suites with bathrooms, common areas, kitchenettes, as well as doubles, and pods with community bathrooms that are shared with select groups of individuals.    

“The new residence facility is a mixture of spaces,” Johnson said. “When we initiated this project, one of the things we looked at was living spaces for traditional students and the non-traditional students. That brought us to the next question for our team to strategize around: How do you accommodate all those different groups? We also looked at being able to include space for camps and different programs should the need arise. So, having the building configured in a manner to accommodate those particular aspects was also important.”     

Kathryn Crockett, district manager of Aramark, the food services provider, disclosed during an earlier tour that dining in the new building will include brands such as Firehouse Subs, Twisters Tacos, Bojangles, Bento Sushi, and Noodle Rice Bowl. Chick-fil-A, Pizza Hut, and Starbucks are currently on campus.     

 “We are thrilled to be here at TSU. We really enjoy taking care of this campus community and serving the students, faculty, and staff,” said Crockett. “We are really looking to round out our footprint here and continue the evolution of dining services on campus.”     

  Johnson added that existing concepts will be upgraded and modified to blend in with the new offerings.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and eight doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

EVENTS, Featured, NEWS, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU’s new 700-bed ultra-modern residence hall on track to open for fall 2022

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University officials say a new 700-bed ultra-modern residence hall scheduled to open in the fall is indicative of TSU’s growth and desire to create a better living and learning environment for students.

President Glenda Glover

With growing enrollment and the need for new facilities, officials say the building will play a major role in recruitment efforts, as well as facilitate socialization and engagement, and provide an atmosphere for academic success. It is part of several planned and ongoing construction projects, including a new Health Sciences Building that was recently dedicated. 

“The university is undergoing a renaissance of sorts,” says TSU President Glenda Glover. “It began with our new, higher admission standards, and continues with the new construction of the residence hall and Health Sciences Building for prospective students to enjoy and reap the benefits.” 

Dr. Curtis Johnson, Chief of Staff and Associate Vice President, who oversees campus construction, makes a point to George Herring, Chief Project Director, left; and Hendrell Remus, Director of campus Emergency Management. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)

The new building, estimated at $75.3 million and the first new residence hall on the campus in nearly 25 years, will house lower and upperclassmen. It is described as a mixed community living facility that will offer multiple upscale living, dining, recreational and leisure concepts.  

“This particular facility is designed to be a city or community for the students,” says Dr. Curtis Johnson, TSU’s chief of staff and associate vice president, who oversees campus construction. “In that concept, the intent is for the students to be able to do almost everything they need to do in that facility, without having to go across campus.” 

The new residence hall will have a variety of room types, such as four-bedroom suites with bathrooms, common areas, and kitchenettes, among others. (Photo by Aaron Grayson, TSU Media Relations)

Recently, Johnson conducted a tour of the ongoing construction with the campus chief project manager, representatives from Aramark, the food services provider, and the director of the campus Emergency Management department. The goal, he says, was to “bring the team members together to make sure we are on one accord.” 

The team reviewed the advanced technology makeup of the building – monitors, access control, secure mechanisms – for the convenience and security of occupants; as well as living arrangements, such as a variety of room types for students and employees. Among them, four-bedroom suites with bathrooms, common areas, kitchenettes, as well as doubles, and pods with community bathrooms that are shared with select groups of individuals.  

Travion Crutcher, a senior mechanical engineering major and student ambassador, says the new building will help boost recruitment.

“The new residence facility is a mixture of spaces,” says Johnson. “When we initiated this project, one of the things we looked at was living spaces for traditional students and the non-traditional students. So, how do you accommodate all of those different groups? We also looked at being able to include space for camps and different programs should the need arise. So, having the building configured in a manner to accommodate that was also important.” 

Frank Stevenson, associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students, says the new residence hall will foster a sense of community that creates greater opportunities for students to interact with each other. 

Aaliyah Doss, a sophomore agricultural sciences major, says she hopes to be one of the first occupants of the new residence hall.

“It is really exciting to have this residence hall coming online with an amazing living learning community-style,” says Stevenson. “Students will be able to experience some of the most modern amenities. We spare no expense in terms of making sure our students have a comfortable living space during their learning experience.” 

Students are also excited about the prospect of a new residence hall and what it offers in terms of recruitment and upscale living. 

“I think that this new addition is really good for the campus,” says Travion Crutcher, a senior mechanical engineering major from Huntsville, Alabama, who is a student ambassador. “That will help a lot with recruitment, and when we are talking to students about coming to TSU.” 

Aaliyah Doss, a sophomore agricultural sciences major from Chicago, relishes the opportunity to be one of the first occupants of the new building. 

An architect’s rendering of the new building stands next to Eppse Hall, where the new construction is taking place. (Photo by Aaron Grayson, TSU Media Relations)

“I lived in Epps Hall my freshman year and now in Rudolph Hall,” says Doss. “This new building will definitely give the campus a great look and make lots of students want to come to TSU.” 

During the tour, Kathryn Crockett, district manager of Aramark, disclosed that dining in the new building will include brands such as Firehouse Subs, Twisters Tacos, Bojangles, Bento Sushi, and Noodle Rice Bowl. Chick-fil-A, Pizza Hut, and Starbucks are already fixtures on campus. 

During a tour of the ongoing construction, Kathryn Crockett, District Manager of Aramark, explains the various dining concepts and brands that will be in the new building. From left, are Dr. Johnson; Chief Project Manager Herring; Terry Hammond, Aramark General Manager; Jeanne Charlebois, Concept Innovation Manager at Aramark; and Crockett. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)

“We are thrilled to be here at TSU. We really enjoy taking care of this campus community and serving the students, faculty, and staff,” says Crockett. “We are really looking to round out our footprint here and continue the evolution of dining services on campus.” 

Johnson adds that existing concepts will be upgraded and modified to blend in with the new offerings. 

“We are also looking at Sport Zone to create a concept for students in the apartments,” says Johnson. “So, there is a whole metamorphosis of activities surrounding dining and food services for the students. We are working with our partner, Aramark, to enhance what we have by bringing in new concepts and upgrade those things that we already have.”

Others who accompanied Johnson on the tour of the ongoing construction were: George Herring, chief project manager; Hendrell Remus,  director of campus Emergency Management; Terry Hammond, general manager of Aramark; and Jeanne Charlebois, concept innovation manager at Aramark. 

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and eight doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.