Future of UW Housing

UW Housing | Moving Forward

As a key initiative of Goal 2 of  Breaking Through: 2017-2022 A Strategic Plan for the University of Wyoming,  the University of Wyoming will construct new residence halls to build new living and learning communities to enhance student retention and inspire students to pursue a productive, engaged, and fulfilling life.

Progress to Date

In mid-2017, the University of Wyoming undertook the development of a Housing Master Plan to address campus housing and residential life needs over the next decade. 

UW Residence Hall
Student in front of sorority house

The plan included an assessment of current conditions in campus housing and associated common spaces, and a long-term plan to improve the quality, suitability and management of housing and communal / amenity spaces across campus. The scope included all the existing residence halls, university-owned apartments, and other housing options on campus such as special interest and fraternity and sorority life housing. To develop this plan, the University engaged the team of KSQ Design, an Oklahoma-based architectural firm with an extensive portfolio of planning and design projects including a broad range of university assignments.  Working alongside KSQ Design, Biddison Hier, Ltd., a Washington, D.C.-based resource planning firm specializing in student housing and residential life planning worked to lead our planning process.

Together, these firms worked hand in hand with members of the University of Wyoming Community to form the “Project Team.”  The Project Team was assisted by BCER, an MEP engineering, technology and life safety firm serving the commercial, educational, institutional, and governmental markets; Martin / Martin Wyoming, a civil and structural engineering firm; and Vermeulens, a professional services firm specializing in pre-construction cost control services.


Wyoming Legislative Task Force on UW Housing

During the 2018 Legislative Session, the Wyoming State Legislature voted to create the Legislative Task Force on UW Housing. This Task Force was charged to review the housing master plan submitted to the joint appropriations committee by the University of Wyoming in January 2018 on file with the legislative service office and shall provide recommendations regarding implementation of the plan, revisions to the plan and potential financing alternatives, including state support, to implement the plan or a revised plan. This body is comprised of two members of the Senate, two members of the House of Representatives, an employee or elected official of the Executive Branch, one member appointed by the State Treasurer, two members of the UW Board of Trustees, one appointee of the University of Wyoming President, one appointee of the Governor of Wyoming, and one appointee of the Governor of Wyoming from the UW Foundation.

For more information on the Legislative Task Force on UW Housing, see the image bar below.
Wyoming Capitol Building

To Provide Feedback, Comments, or Concerns, email UW at living@uwyo.edu 

Master Plan

The Process

Along with our professional consultants, the UW Master Housing Plan took many opportunities to bring in feedback from UW staff, faculty, alumni, and most importantly, students. Throughout the process, the Project Team received feedback that confirmed the importance of our residence housing opportunities. 

As part of this planning process, we have continued to recognize the important role that housing and residential life can play in a student’s  college experience. The University’s leadership envisions a more residential university with new ideas and concepts for student housing, living-learning environments , and an  enhanced residential experience with more opportunities for student engagement .

 

What is a Housing Master Plan?

A Housing Master Plan is a long-range planning document – typically covering a 10- to 15-year period – that provides a roadmap for programmatic and physical changes to enhance housing, residential, and campus life. It typically includes the following kinds of information to guide the University in reinvesting in its housing system over the plan period.

  • Determine target populations to house and the preferred types of housing (unit types, mix and number) to accommodate those populations.

  • Assessment of existing physical conditions and recommendations for renovations to address deferred maintenance and, as necessary, to modernize and upgrade buildings to make them suitable for the next decade and beyond.

  • Recommendations for new housing to address any current or anticipated deficiencies in the housing inventory.

  • Recommendations for other enhancements to campus housing, and to residential life programming to create a more vibrant and engaging on-campus experience.

  • Funding requirements to implement changes called out in the Housing Master Plan and, often, a financial model to project how these requirements might be phased and funded over time.