Virginia Union University opened its new dorm and conference space building in late September. Photos by Burl Rolett.
Virginia Union University’s first new building in more than 15 years threw open its doors last week.
The school cut the ribbon Sept. 24 on the new VUU Living & Learning Center, a $17 million dorm and conference center building in the northwest section of campus. The building adds 240 beds to cover an enrollment that has swelled to more than 1,700 students.
“For the last five years, ever since (President Claude) Perkins came, our enrollment had been growing,” VUU spokesperson Vanessa Coombs said. “We’ve increased marketing, lots of scholarship assistance and just gotten out and tried to help the students with paperwork, getting stuff in on time and just really reaching out.”
The 68,000-square-foot grey brick Living & Learning Center broke ground in December 2012. It’s the first new building on campus since the L. Douglas Wilder Library opened in 1997 and the first residence hall VUU has built since Storer and MacVicar halls in 1966.
Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Chairman of the VUU Board of Trustees (left), and Dr. Claude Perkins, VUU President, cut the ribbon at the Living & Learning Center. Courtesy of VUU.
The new building opened dorms to about 240 upperclassmen, with half for women and the other for men. The added beds have allowed VUU to house all of its students back on campus. The school had been renting nearby apartments for overflow housing.
An 800-person capacity conference center connects the building’s two residential wings. It’s a space that VUU hopes to use for student meetings as well as private gatherings. Coombs said VUU will look to rent the building out for events like weddings and church functions.
VUU financed part of the $17 million project through grants from the U.S. Department of Education and a public fundraising campaign. The Cabell Foundation, The Reynolds Foundation and the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation were among the project’s donors.
Local architecture firm KEI designed the building, and Turner Construction was the general contractor.
Virginia Union University opened its new dorm and conference space building in late September. Photos by Burl Rolett.
Virginia Union University’s first new building in more than 15 years threw open its doors last week.
The school cut the ribbon Sept. 24 on the new VUU Living & Learning Center, a $17 million dorm and conference center building in the northwest section of campus. The building adds 240 beds to cover an enrollment that has swelled to more than 1,700 students.
“For the last five years, ever since (President Claude) Perkins came, our enrollment had been growing,” VUU spokesperson Vanessa Coombs said. “We’ve increased marketing, lots of scholarship assistance and just gotten out and tried to help the students with paperwork, getting stuff in on time and just really reaching out.”
The 68,000-square-foot grey brick Living & Learning Center broke ground in December 2012. It’s the first new building on campus since the L. Douglas Wilder Library opened in 1997 and the first residence hall VUU has built since Storer and MacVicar halls in 1966.
Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Chairman of the VUU Board of Trustees (left), and Dr. Claude Perkins, VUU President, cut the ribbon at the Living & Learning Center. Courtesy of VUU.
The new building opened dorms to about 240 upperclassmen, with half for women and the other for men. The added beds have allowed VUU to house all of its students back on campus. The school had been renting nearby apartments for overflow housing.
An 800-person capacity conference center connects the building’s two residential wings. It’s a space that VUU hopes to use for student meetings as well as private gatherings. Coombs said VUU will look to rent the building out for events like weddings and church functions.
VUU financed part of the $17 million project through grants from the U.S. Department of Education and a public fundraising campaign. The Cabell Foundation, The Reynolds Foundation and the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation were among the project’s donors.
Local architecture firm KEI designed the building, and Turner Construction was the general contractor.