The improvements are intended to help the school compete with out-of-state universities that are increasingly recruiting students who are looking for state-of-the-art facilities, university officials said.
University and city of Georgetown leaders say the impact of the projects will go beyond the campus’s 701 acres, benefiting the greater Georgetown community.
“We hope it does great things for the school, but I think it’s going to add a lot of value to our community as well,” Georgetown Assistant City Manager Nick Woolery said.
The overview
In 2022, the Southwestern University board of trustees approved $120 million in capital projects, including two new residence halls, a welcome center, a multipurpose sports complex and a restaurant as well as renovations to a historic academic hall, library and learning commons space.
The projects are intended to improve the university experience for the approximately 1,500 students who attend Southwestern each year, said Dinah Ritchie, Southwestern University vice president for integrated communications and chief marketing officer.
While Southwestern is not looking to grow its enrollment, the upgrades are necessary to compete with many out-of-state schools that have come to Texas to recruit students as their enrollment declines, she said. Southwestern is seeking to keep students in the state as 89% of its student body comes from Texas, said Tom Delahunt, the university’s vice president for strategic recruitment and enrollment.
“We believe [these projects] will enhance our ability to recruit students in a very volatile market,” Delahunt said. “This is the business of college enrollment. It is probably at an all time competitive high.”
The university hopes building new residence halls will allow it to enforce a requirement that students live on campus for their first three years, which it believes will improve students’ academic performance and save them money, university officials said.
The new facilities, many of which will be open to the public, may also serve Georgetown residents and increase tourism, Woolery said.
A closer look
The university is constructing a new residence hall for first-year students located next to a welcome center that will house the Office of Admission and Financial Aid, and feature an art gallery, cafe, theater and meeting spaces. A new second-year residence hall will replace Ruter Hall. Both residence halls will include study and lounge spaces, meeting rooms and yoga and pilates studios.
The new residence halls will push the university closer toward its goals of housing all freshman through junior students, Ritchie said. The university’s board voted to raise the residency requirement to three years in 2020 but has been unable to enforce it due to a lack of space. Living on campus helps the university retain students as they make better grades and have a better experience, she said.
Officials hope more on-campus housing will provide affordable options to students as Georgetown’s real estate market grows.
"Some students are coming back to us saying, ‘Hey, listen, I can’t afford to live off campus anymore. What can you provide for me on campus?’” Delahunt said.
While about three-fourths of students already live on campus, the new residence halls will allow for students to have more space and prevent overcrowding, he said.
“Our dorms have been needing an upgrade, so it’ll be nice to see what they can make happen in this new dorm,” said Jess Kuras, a Southwestern alumna and director of development events for the university.
The impact
After a decade of playing at Georgetown ISD’s athletic complex, Southwestern University’s football team will begin playing home games on campus for the first time since 1950 with the opening of a new multipurpose sports complex.
University officials hope the new complex, which will feature an arena, locker rooms and space to tailgate, brings a sense of vibrancy to campus as students may be more likely to attend games. The complex may also be used for commencement and other sports teams.
Southwestern’s investment comes as 33% of students are athletes, according to the university.
Senior Bryce Stiemert, who is also student government president and plays golf, said he is hopeful the facility will unite the university’s student athlete community.
However, concerns about the projects exist for some students like sophomore Samuel Hoffman, who worries the university is investing too much in athletics amid increasing inflation, while he believes faculty have not received sufficient raises.
The increased presence of sports on campus may attract more visitors to the area who will support the local economy through shopping, dining and staying at hotels, Woolery said.
Those who visit campus for sporting events can also enjoy the new welcome center’s art gallery or the event space at Mood-Bridwell Hall, Ritchie said. Built in 1908, the renovated Mood-Bridwell Hall will host performances, gatherings, classrooms and a coffeehouse.
"We want people to use our campus. We don’t want it to be in a bubble. ... We want to be part of the community," Delahunt said.
The background
As a liberal arts college, Southwestern seeks to help students make connections across various subject matters using a classical curriculum known as Paideia, Delahunt said. Southwestern students enjoy small class sizes and many clubs and activities.
Tuition will be $53,288 for the 2024-25 school year, and all students receive some financial aid. Delahunt said tuition usually goes up 3%-5% each school year, but will not increase as a result of the construction.
Student demographics
- 89% from Texas; 11% from out of state or country
- 38% underrepresented students
- 39% of applicants accepted
- 95%of graduates employed or accepted into graduate school within 10 months
In recent months, the university relocated and remodeled its campus store, upgraded the women’s locker room, refreshed its dining hall, added pickleball courts and re-leveled the library among other upgrades.
While different phases of construction will take place over the next two years, it is not expected to significantly impact the community or result in road closures, Delahunt said. Southwestern officials are yet to establish a completion date for the multipurpose sports complex as they are requesting proposals from contractors.
“[Southwestern is] a huge part of our history,” Woolery said. “But I look at all the things they’re doing to really enhance the campus, and they’re a huge part of the vibrant future of Georgetown as well.”
Project timeline
- August 2024: Library updates and Learning Commons
- 2025: Mood-Bridwell renovation and The Perch opening
- 2026: Welcome center and new residence halls
- To be determined: Multipurpose sports complex
