Students Experience 'Look And Feel' Of North Village Suite

by Katie Treadwell

Baylor University students who are interested in living in the North Village residential community next year can experience the "look and feel" of the new concept by visiting a replica of a North Village suite set up in Alexander Drawing Room through Nov. 1.
A hybrid of the nine available North Village suites, the mock-suite features a single room, double room, living room, kitchen and two bathrooms. Students will experience every detail of a completed suite, down to the carpet, windows and blinds.
"When they walk into the mock-up, it will be like they're walking into their own apartment," said sophomore Jamie Gianoutsos, who worked on North Village's marketing effort. "In all the other residence halls on campus you can get a feel for it before you move in. Now students can do the same with the North Village."
Campus Living and Learning representatives said they began planning a mock-suite because interested students continually asked what the rooms will look and feel like. The mock-suite will benefit office administrators as well, since students can provide feedback to modify the suites before construction is completed.
"Seeing will be believing for the North Village," said Dr. Frank Shushok, associate dean of Campus Living and Learning. "Students will be able experience every nuance of a North Village suite, down to sitting in the furniture and opening the refrigerator."
The North Village residential community, Baylor's first in nearly 40 years, features three residential buildings and a community center. Students will have access to a state-of-the-art classroom, café, convenience store and study areas. Aimed at providing upper division students with additional amenities, North Village offers residents perks like free cable television, Internet access and laundry facilities.
"The North Village residence is unique because students who want to share a room can still live with someone who wants a single room," Shushok said. "The mock-suite will allow potential roommates to see the difference between single and double rooms."
The North Village is under construction between the new Dutton Avenue Office and Parking Facility and the Rogers Engineering and Computer Science Building. Two more residential villages are planned for Baylor during the next 10 years.
The complex represents the first partnership between Campus Living and Learning and an academic unit - Baylor's School of Engineering and Computer Science. Approximately 180 of the facility's 600 beds will be reserved for engineering and computer science students, who must apply and be admitted to the learning center. The other beds will be available for sophomores and up from other academic disciplines.
Living-learning centers in residence halls have gained national support at major universities, such as the University of Maryland, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Ohio State University, for their ability to attract and retain exceptional students seeking a residential experience that is connected to their academic major or a related interest. Baylor's residential community will be the first in Texas.
North Village residents also will take at least one course each semester with a cohort of other students participating in the learning center. The School of Engineering and Computer Science will hire a full-time staff person to direct the program and work with Campus Living and Learning in day-to-day coordination of the center.
The North Village mock-suite will be open during the application process for the residential community. Campus Living and Learning staff will be available to give tours and answer questions at the mock-up on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m.
For more information, visit the North Village web site or send an e-mail to housing@baylor.edu.