Eighteen months ago, President John Bardo’s newest project was just beginning.

With the fall semester starting, that vision, the new dorms on campus known as Shocker Hall, has come to life.

Bardo described Shocker Hall as the answer to the question: How do we create a sense of campus life?

Now, Bardo said students can enjoy a brand new, state-of-the-art living facility, giving the nearly 800 residents access to everything on campus.

“It changes what we can do,” Bardo said.

Shocker Hall is a major step in redefining the culture of WSU’s campus, Wade Robinson said, vice president of student engagement.  

By the middle of May, all rooms were filled. A waiting list was started shortly thereafter.

With the opening of Shocker Hall, two other residencies on campus will be closing. Wheatshocker Apartments and Brennan Hall will shut down and be demolished sometime this fall.

Bardo said there has been both excitement and criticism for the building of Shocker Hall. Despite the criticism, Shocker Hall was booked quickly for the fall semester, and is set to open with a ceremony on Aug. 14. Students can start moving in Aug. 16.

Katie Austin, associate director for residence life, said she is ready for the big day.

“We are excited to provide our residents with a state-of-the-art facility,” Austin said.

The residence hall will house 784 people. Freshman will fill at least 600 beds.

The dorms come in four floor plan options: four private rooms with two shared bathrooms, four shared rooms with one bathroom, three private bedrooms with one shared bathroom or one private bedroom with one bathroom.

Each dorm is furnished, and the rooms will be accented by more natural light, as each bed has its own window.

Student art will be displayed both inside and outside the facility.

Wireless Internet will be available throughout the building, and each student can have up to five connections.

The new dining hall can seat up to 400 students, and is open to everyone, expanding the dining options offered on campus, Austin said.

There will be five lounge-kitchen-laundry areas available for resident use.

A 24-hour reception desk will also be available to help residents and guests.

Safety has been a concern for many students after announcements of the new parking plans, but Shocker Hall resident won’t have to stress over parking lot safety. University Police officers will escort students to and from the Hughes Metropolitan Complex satellite lot, Austin said.

 Shocker Hall also comes with Living Learning Communities, or LLCs.

LLCs are groups of students, sharing similar interests, who are housed together. Studies have shown that LLCs help to increase the retention rates of the students who reside and participate in them. Those students tend to make friends faster, with more ease, perform at higher levels academically, feel more connected to campus at an earlier age and graduate at higher rates.

Each LLC will have a peer academic leader and a faculty coordinator. Students will have to meet certain requirements, depending on their particular community, in order to continue to take advantage of the LLC opportunities.  

Shocker Hall has 10 LLCs — Service, Recreation and Wellness, Honors, Health Professions, Fraternity and Sorority, Fine Arts, Engineering, Education, DiverseCity and Business. Currently, there are nearly 300 students signed up for LLCs.

Students chose their LLCs while filling out the housing application. They selected the communities of interest to them and ranked them based on their level of interest. Placement was made based on interests and availability.

    There will be collaboration among all of the LLCs to maximize the experiences and connections that students will leave with. Bardo is hopeful that the groups will increase relationships among students and ultimately increase student success.

Bardo said Shocker Hall is an addition to WSU’s campus that has brought a great sense of excitement along with it.

Senior Shakeya Stanely said she is also excited for her new home.

Stanley has lived in Fairmount Towers. She said she is grateful to be able to experience this new chapter in WSU residence life before she graduates.

“I’m excited, because I will be a part of the first bunch that gets to experience the new hall,” Stanley said. “It seems like it has a lot to offer to the residents as far as a living learning community, and that’s exciting. I’m just looking forward to something new.”