Current and Future Development on UM's Campus

[Highline17]

When will there be a new engineering building is the real question. Like the only thing that hasn't been upgraded...

The towers were definitely garbage and could use a replacement. But man, I do hope they keep the overall vibe and at the very least keep it to ONLY freshman. The biggest upgrade will likely be the dining hall tbh. the new centennial village does look hella nice though:

As apart of the towers last year, they were completely ****, but it built a special culture putting a bunch of students in the ******* together and in close proximity with shared spaces. The towers helped force students into being apart of the U culture and I loved it.

The replacement is apartment style and luxury. I dislike the plans especially if it’s the future for freshman housing.

I hope they tear down Mahoney/ Pearson and build a new freshman dorm that utilizes the dorm shared restroom model.

 

[Calinative]

As apart of the towers last year, they were completely ****, but it built a special culture putting a bunch of students in the ******* together and in close proximity with shared spaces. The towers helped force students into being apart of the U culture and I loved it.

The replacement is apartment style and luxury. I dislike the plans especially if it’s the future for freshman housing.

I hope they tear down Mahoney/ Pearson and build a new freshman dorm that utilizes the dorm shared restroom model.

Yeah I agree the floor plan of the towers for freshman really pushed freshman to get to know eachother and build a 20-30 person floor community. That doesn't exist whatsoever in MP. But MP is not a freshman dorm. And MP has long halls (so like hundreds of people). I agree thatn't not the design you want for a freshman dorm.

Completely disagree that "luxury" would be a negative though. It doesn't need to be **** so people are miserable together. pretty sure it's still going to be community bathroom not apartment style. It's just not going to be a circular layout with bathroom in middle. Hopefully the halls are just broken up so it's only like 30people max per and not one long *** hall the entire length of the dorm...

 

[Calinative]

Engineering?

Ashe. Richter. Law School. Unger. Memorial. Learning Center. Merrick. Main School of Business. Main Student Union building. Mahoney-Pearson. Eaton. Lowe. That's a pretty big chunk right down the center of campus, and off the top of my head.

Once they tear down all of that, then I'll be concerned.

Honestly the classrooms are fine. They got 4 walls, some windows, and desks all you need. Like upgrading the AC, make sure the Elevators aren't death traps and get better chairs is all that is really neccessary imo. Unless they need more classrooms. Then they'd have to upgrade a building or two.

Literally never stepped foot in Eaton. They already have MP upgrade plan in place after Centennial Village. But they're just upgrading it not replacing it.

I'll settle for some new computers and more money for hardware at least for the Engineering building. Don't honestly care about the building itself all that much.

 

[Jonnyblaze]

Honestly the classrooms are fine. They got 4 walls, some windows, and desks all you need. Like upgrading the AC, make sure the Elevators aren't death traps and get better chairs is all that is really neccessary imo. Unless they need more classrooms. Then they'd have to upgrade a building or two.

Literally never stepped foot in Eaton. They already have MP upgrade plan in place after Centennial Village. But they're just upgrading it not replacing it.

I'll settle for some new computers and more money for hardware at least for the Engineering building. Don't honestly care about the building itself all that much.

Eaton was always the weird place when I was there.

 

[Highline17]

Yeah I agree the floor plan of the towers for freshman really pushed freshman to get to know eachother and build a 20-30 person floor community. That doesn't exist whatsoever in MP. But MP is not a freshman dorm. And MP has long halls (so like hundreds of people). I agree thatn't not the design you want for a freshman dorm.

Completely disagree that "luxury" would be a negative though. It doesn't need to be **** so people are miserable together. pretty sure it's still going to be community bathroom not apartment style. It's just not going to be a circular layout with bathroom in middle. Hopefully the halls are just broken up so it's only like 30people max per and not one long *** hall the entire length of the dorm...

Yeah, but MP is kinda switching to a more freshman dorm. Just by necessity since Hecht knocked down.

I view luxury as a negative cause when your apartment is nicer you spend more time in it and less time with neighbors. It’s part of the reason why lakeside kinda feels dead when compared to the towers. I have no idea what the layout is.

For freshman housing, i think the towers were perfect

 

[Calinative]

Yeah, but MP is kinda switching to a more freshman dorm. Just by necessity since Hecht knocked down.

I view luxury as a negative cause when your apartment is nicer you spend more time in it and less time with neighbors. It’s part of the reason why lakeside kinda feels dead when compared to the towers. I have no idea what the layout is.

For freshman housing, i think the towers were perfect

Lakeside and MP will feel dead because they aren't Fully Freshman dorms where everyone keeps their doors open all day long and have IM fields right outside. That has always been the case for every non-freshman dorm. MP being freshman is temporary so I wouldn't use that as an example of what Centennial will be like.

 

[Highline17]

Lakeside and MP will feel dead because they aren't Fully Freshman dorms where everyone keeps their doors open all day long and have IM fields right outside. That has always been the case for every non-freshman dorm. MP being freshman is temporary so I wouldn't use that as an example of what Centennial will be like.

I mean fair, I just hope they keep a similar interior design as the towers, and stay away from apartment layout. Can’t stay away from those ridiculous housing prices tho

 

[Canedude08]

As apart of the towers last year, they were completely ****, but it built a special culture putting a bunch of students in the ******* together and in close proximity with shared spaces. The towers helped force students into being apart of the U culture and I loved it.

The replacement is apartment style and luxury. I dislike the plans especially if it’s the future for freshman housing.

I hope they tear down Mahoney/ Pearson and build a new freshman dorm that utilizes the dorm shared restroom model.

Kids don’t want to share a ******* with the entire floor. Those days are over, and it’s beyond stupid to provide housing that no one wants. I never lived in the towers when I lived on campus (711 Pearson as a freshman, and like the store the doors were always unlocked for the chicks or if you wanted to catch a fade on the PS2), and I did just fine. The kids that want to socialize will, through other means.

 

[Highline17]

Kids don’t want to share a ******* with the entire floor. Those days are over, and it’s beyond stupid to provide housing that no one wants. I never lived in the towers when I lived on campus (711 Pearson as a freshman, and like the store the doors were always unlocked for the chicks or if you wanted to catch a fade on the PS2), and I did just fine. The kids that want to socialize will, through other means.

I was one of the most recent students in those towers, there is still a desire for that type of development. But the towers were at the end of their road. But providing the type of space that helps bring freshman together, that’s still in fashion

 

[Calinative]

Kids don’t want to share a ******* with the entire floor. Those days are over, and it’s beyond stupid to provide housing that no one wants. I never lived in the towers when I lived on campus (711 Pearson as a freshman, and like the store the doors were always unlocked for the chicks or if you wanted to catch a fade on the PS2), and I did just fine. The kids that want to socialize will, through other means.

living in MP as a freshman sounds lame as ****. I don't see the problem with the Communal bathroom freshman year as long as there is a good amount of privacy in the showers - which even the towers actually had. I went with my nephew to a UC and the showers weren't even stalls with a "lock" and that area to hang your **** up. They literally had just a ****** curtain lol. And there was a random *** small bathtub with a curtain that didn't even give a foot of space lol.

 

[Highline17]

living in MP as a freshman sounds lame as ****. I don't see the problem with the Communal bathroom freshman year as long as there is a good amount of privacy in the showers - which even the towers actually had. I went with my nephew to a UC and the showers weren't even stalls with a "lock" and that area to hang your **** up. They literally had just a ****** curtain lol. And there was a random *** small bathtub with a curtain that didn't even give a foot of space lol.

In my experience, it’s not the layout that is really the problem. It’s the fact that the quality was **** + the fact the students would break a lot of the stuff and it wouldn’t get repaired.

Provide enough clean private showers with good heat/ pressure. And keep the toilets clean is the priority. Most of the problems were because some idiot would break/ clog a toilet or a show didn’t have pressure.

From my experience, the communal bathroom aspect was fine, the quality was the issue

 

[Calinative]

In my experience, it’s not the layout that is really the problem. It’s the fact that the quality was **** + the fact the students would break a lot of the stuff and it wouldn’t get repaired.

Provide enough clean private showers with good heat/ pressure. And keep the toilets clean is the priority. Most of the problems were because some idiot would break/ clog a toilet or a show didn’t have pressure.

From my experience, the communal bathroom aspect was fine, the quality was the issue

Thats why lower level floors are best. Higher water pressure and don't gotta rely on the elevators...

 

[Highline17]

Thats why lower level floors are best. Higher water pressure and don't gotta rely on the elevators...

I was floor 12, water pressure and elevator wait was a pain

 

[Angry Ibis]

Great to hear about continued improvements to campus and investments in the university.

 

[JD08]

Don't forget the foosball tables, either...

Foosball is not the same as it used to be.

 

[Canedude08]

living in MP as a freshman sounds lame as ****. I don't see the problem with the Communal bathroom freshman year as long as there is a good amount of privacy in the showers - which even the towers actually had. I went with my nephew to a UC and the showers weren't even stalls with a "lock" and that area to hang your **** up. They literally had just a ****** curtain lol. And there was a random *** small bathtub with a curtain that didn't even give a foot of space lol.

Wasn't even close to lame, because guess what? I still went to class, I still managed to get involved on campus in different organizations and that's how I met people. That's how most people meet on campus, regardless of living arrangement. Because I was the youngster living on a floor with mostly upperclassmen, I ended up accelerating my social skill development, because my neighbors across the hall took me under their wing. It was a great experience, I enjoyed having my own bathroom(Outside of the time my suitemate decided to flood the bathroom and not tell anyone, which led to me finding out at 3AM when I came home from a night out), I wasn't interested in having to deal with the nonsense my friends that lived in the towers dealt with in regards to the communal ones.

There's a reason why few if any new dorms are built in that old style, with the most important being that students have said over and over again that they don't want that living arrangement. Having those communal bathrooms and like limits flexibility in regards to living arrangements, and with how society is changing, you want to be able to provide suitable living arrangements for all. These schools want to encourage more kids to stay on campus all 4 years, and the best way to do that is to provide the housing arrangements that students tend to want. It's not an accident that after freshman year, students want out of the towers, unless they can get a single, whether it was getting assigned to M/P, UV, Eaton or moving off campus.

 

[Calinative]

Wasn't even close to lame, because guess what? I still went to class, I still managed to get involved on campus in different organizations and that's how I met people. That's how most people meet on campus, regardless of living arrangement. Because I was the youngster living on a floor with mostly upperclassmen, I ended up accelerating my social skill development, because my neighbors across the hall took me under their wing. It was a great experience, I enjoyed having my own bathroom(Outside of the time my suitemate decided to flood the bathroom and not tell anyone, which led to me finding out at 3AM when I came home from a night out), I wasn't interested in having to deal with the nonsense my friends that lived in the towers dealt with in regards to the communal ones.

There's a reason why few if any new dorms are built in that old style, with the most important being that students have said over and over again that they don't want that living arrangement. Having those communal bathrooms and like limits flexibility in regards to living arrangements, and with how society is changing, you want to be able to provide suitable living arrangements for all. These schools want to encourage more kids to stay on campus all 4 years, and the best way to do that is to provide the housing arrangements that students tend to want. It's not an accident that after freshman year, students want out of the towers, unless they can get a single, whether it was getting assigned to M/P, UV, Eaton or moving off campus.

Bro the towers were ONLY for freshman and required lol. So whether students want to get out of the towers or not afterwards is irrelevant. They had to be out lol. This is freshman year of college lol, you’re not supposed to be in an actual apartment style place. Freshman year is for building the community and school spirit and has a great social environment in the dorm. MP didnt/doesn’t provide that period. But MP is obviously a better actual living situation. There is more room and privacy. It is absolutely lame imo to have freshman with so/jrs. And once the tower replacements are up, that won’t happen - for a reason.

MP and the UV are for actual better living arrangements So-Sr. (Or off campus obviously).

 

[Canedude08]

Bro the towers were ONLY for freshman and required lol. So whether students want to get out of the towers or not afterwards is irrelevant. They had to be out lol. This is freshman year of college lol, you’re not supposed to be in an actual apartment style place. Freshman year is for building the community and school spirit and has a great social environment in the dorm. MP didnt/doesn’t provide that period. But MP is obviously a better actual living situation. There is more room and privacy. It is absolutely lame imo to have freshman with so/jrs. And once the tower replacements are up, that won’t happen - for a reason.

MP and the UV are for actual better living arrangements So-Sr. (Or off campus obviously).

They do the same exit interviews year after year, guess what students usually say? I'm quite sure the same comments about the shared bathrooms are **** near universal, because schools are falling over themselves to build new suite style dorms. The old school way of dorm isn't as attractive as you are portraying it as. Freshmen ended up being assigned to the Towers(with limited exceptions), because no one else wanted to live there, once more attractive options came on line. That said, that arrangement has come to an end, and when you are charging what these schools are charging for room and board, it's beyond ridiculous to ask these kids to live the same way a PFC in the Army does. This is why schools are upgrading dining options, this is why they are putting some effort into dorms, you need to be competitive if you want to retain that money, beyond the "You have to live here" year. What Miami is trying to do, and has been trying to accomplish for the better part of 20 years is to get as many kids to live on campus as possible and be there for 4 years. Dr. Shalala was big on that, and I think Frenk is all in on the concept as well. Outside of the local commuter kids, they want **** near everyone else to live on campus, and they are building out to get to that point.

The last time I checked, these new dorms are still going to be part of the Residential College system, which means all the community building exercises that happened in the old dorms will STILL happen. The going to sporting events as a floor, the mixers, all of that stuff will STILL happen, so you will still have plenty of opportunities to meet people and build community. I didn't know that having to take a shower in a stall right to someone else, was the key to connecting to people in college. Keep in mind, a lot of the community building things that happened in the towers, also happened in Eaton, and M/P. Kids that want to socialize will, and no two kids are alike.

 

[Highline17]

Freshmen ended up being assigned to the Towers(with limited exceptions), because no one else wanted to live there, once more attractive options came on line.

Not true for my year (which is more recent than anyone here) Hecht was seen as the best place for freshman to live. Yes the living standards were ****, but the place was fun and that’s what freshman want.

Freshman from MP spent a lot of time in the towers because they had good culture and it was fun. The towers weren’t just ****** housing; they promoted a lot of fun and connectivity.

 

[Calinative]

They do the same exit interviews year after year, guess what students usually say? I'm quite sure the same comments about the shared bathrooms are **** near universal, because schools are falling over themselves to build new suite style dorms. The old school way of dorm isn't as attractive as you are portraying it as. Freshmen ended up being assigned to the Towers(with limited exceptions), because no one else wanted to live there, once more attractive options came on line. That said, that arrangement has come to an end, and when you are charging what these schools are charging for room and board, it's beyond ridiculous to ask these kids to live the same way a PFC in the Army does. This is why schools are upgrading dining options, this is why they are putting some effort into dorms, you need to be competitive if you want to retain that money, beyond the "You have to live here" year. What Miami is trying to do, and has been trying to accomplish for the better part of 20 years is to get as many kids to live on campus as possible and be there for 4 years. Dr. Shalala was big on that, and I think Frenk is all in on the concept as well. Outside of the local commuter kids, they want **** near everyone else to live on campus, and they are building out to get to that point.

The last time I checked, these new dorms are still going to be part of the Residential College system, which means all the community building exercises that happened in the old dorms will STILL happen. The going to sporting events as a floor, the mixers, all of that stuff will STILL happen, so you will still have plenty of opportunities to meet people and build community. I didn't know that having to take a shower in a stall right to someone else, was the key to connecting to people in college. Keep in mind, a lot of the community building things that happened in the towers, also happened in Eaton, and M/P. Kids that want to socialize will, and no two kids are alike.

Bro you’re just straight up wrong about the Freshman exclusive towers not having a better social environment. Look you want to say freshman dorms shouldn’t have communal bathrooms, go ahead. I disagree (and again I don’t think centennial is gunna have MP style bathrooms, I think it’s gunna be communal still). But more importantly pretty much every other point your making is wrong. It is absolutely BETTER for the students and school to have exclusively freshman in certain dorms. It just is. You say your experience in MP was cool because you were social, well some kids need to be pushed to do that. And that’s what college is about. You don’t want to make it hard for them to be social as an incoming freshman.

No matter what you say MP isn’t even 5% as social as the freshman dorms. That’s just a fact. Eaton I have no clue because nobody stepped foot in Eaton u less you lived there - which I don’t think I even knew anyone who did tbh. And The UV is just an apartment owned by the school… I left before the new dorm was built so idk about that one either tbh.