Peter Caty/The Mirror
New Buildings. New residential colleges. New dining options. An overall theme of newness and change brings life to Fairfield’s campus as students, faculty and staff welcome the 2010-2011 academic year.
According to an article from “The Connecticut Post,” Fairfield welcomed 925 members to the class of 2014. This was a large increase from last year that, according to the Fairfield University fact book, reported 837 full time daytime students.
This year also marked the first year that Fairfield became SAT optional during its admission process, allowing applicants to submit their scores only if they wanted to. This new approach in admissions helps to demonstrate to future applicants that Fairfield looks at an applicant as a whole person, including grades and extracurricular activities, and not just as a number on a standardized test.
Not only has the freshman class experienced change, but the sophomore class has experienced a new situation in their housing experience as well.
According to a speech given by Father von Arx at a housing assembly, almost 80% of Fairfield sophomores are participating in the existing and newly designed residential colleges. These residential colleges include: Ignatian Residential College, Creative Life Residential College, Environmental Life Residential College, Leadership in the Ignatian Tradition Residential College, and Service for Justice Residential College.
Each residential college offers their students a chance to participate in a community of living and learning based on the values of each of the different programs.
With the creation of these new residential colleges, the need for new housing became an issue. To help accommodate these students, the old Jesuit Residence was transformed into 42 Bellarmine, the newest addition to campus housing.
However, this newest residence is not the end of the housing construction process. Still to come is the new apartment complex being built in the Village, a new residence hall in the Quad, and the rearrangement of the Dolan commons into apartment-style living.
Each project hopes to make the housing situation at Fairfield more appealing to its students by creating more attractive housing options and more space for its residents. Due to the large incoming class and the unfinished housing projects, 35% of freshmen are in triples this year, according to statistics of the freshman class reported by the representatives of Residence Life at a First Year Experience training session.
Although this number may seem high, throughout the summer and into the school year Residence Life begins the “detripling” process for some of the students.
Not only is the housing situation different for students this year, but dining options are different as well. The newly designed Stag dining area in the Barone Campus Center allows for more seating and a new grilling area called, “The Original Burger.”
The Fairfield University campus is constantly in motion, a dynamic environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors that hosts projects that are completed, still in progress, and yet to be initiated.
So to the freshman class, welcome to a school that has deep traditions and history yet still opens its doors to change, and to the sophomore, junior and senior classes, welcome back.
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