What is a surefire way to get a college student up and out of bed in the morning without coercion or bribery? Put a construction site outside his window.
Crews continue their work from last year in an ongoing project to demolish most of the existing Alderman Road residence halls and put up brand new ones, starting with the construction of a new dorm behind Dobie and Balz. This project stemmed from a study conducted several years ago to evaluate the physical conditions of the present buildings, Chief Housing Officer Mark Dohertysaid. Results showed that the future did not look good and big decisions needed to be made.
"The question to the consultant was basically [whether to] renovate them or deal with repair issues," Doherty said. "Since the first two didn't make sense, we were faced with the daunting process of demolishing all except Woody and Cauthen."
To keep up with the rapidly growing first-year population, the Alderman Road plans encompass living spaces for a 10-percent overall increase expected for the incoming student population during the next decade.
As the University prepares to open its doors a bit wider, administrators also hope to ensure that new students live in dorms modernized to meet their needs. Halls constructed in the next 10 years hold fast to what Doherty called the "townsquare concept." Each small cluster of dorms are equipped with a room for activity space, vending machines, laundry facilities and a post office.
On top of all these conveniences, Doherty adds that the future dorms come with what every student wishes he had his first three weeks at the University -- air conditioning.
"We're going to come into the 21st century," Doherty said.
Doherty estimated the construction to be completed in the next 10 years.
While the University takes big steps to make changes in the its living standards, students find themselves tangled in the bedlam of building activity. Many first-years arrived on Move-In Day to see tractors and bulldozers in their visual environment. Students living in the Alderman Road area discovered that time does not necessarily cure all problems. For some, the construction continues to be an obstruction to enjoying their home away from home at the University.
"The construction makes me grumpy," first-year College student Melanie Culotta said. "It's not the most pleasant thing in the world to hear the 'grrrrr' of the engine while trying to do some homework. The early morning 'whir' isn't much better either, especially after a late night."
Doherty said University Housing took many precautions to minimize the impact of the construction on student life. University policy dictates that work must begin at a reasonable time in the morning, and if any work is to be done on weekends, students are informed ahead of time. Doherty added that some weekend work will be necessary.
In addition to refraining from heavy activity until a forgiving hour, crews are required to follow no-tolerance behavior regulations and strict safety regulations that keep student pedestrians in mind. Crews around Alderman Road follow a schedule that coincides with the academic ebb and flow of the semester.
"We have a tremendous amount of projects that we fit in around student schedules -- that is our primary means of operation," Doherty said, adding that he considers moving certain projects to breaks when students will not be on Grounds "We have made arrangements with our contractors to stop work on reading days and finals."
While University Housing has not received an alarming number of complaints about noise violations, staff still take all questions received seriously. According to Doherty, information about the Alderman Road project can be found on the University Housing Web site for curious individuals.
Not all students find themselves bothered by the construction sites -- some newcomers instead see it as a point of growth for the University.
"I guess the construction will help future students," first-year College student Katherine Freeman said. "It would have been nice if it had been done over the summer, or when classes weren't in session, but honestly, it doesn't really affect me much, especially if it's for the University's benefit."
While the overall Alderman Road construction is estimated to be finished over the next decade, students can plan on seeing the outer structure of Alderman's newest dorm finished this academic year. If all goes according to plan, close to 200 members of the Class of 2012 and nine Resident Staff members will be the first inhabitants of the new dorm for the 2008-2009 academic school year.
Doherty also commented on how impressed University Housing has been with the maturity of the first-year student body situated in New Dorms.
"I really believe our students are bright and savvy, and I think they can understand, living in an Alderman building, the need for the University to provide better accommodations for students," Doherty said. "They've been very understanding, and I think they've been wonderfully cooperative."
While the school may be in a transitional phase with construction in Alderman and various other places on Grounds, Doherty said he hopes that some day University efforts will be recognized and appreciated.
"We hope our students will come back after they graduate and see what's here and think what they've dealt with is worth it," Doherty said.
-- Vish Apte contributed to this article
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