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TOWER
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Winter 2016
Kutztown University rededicated three recently
renovated residence halls on Sept. 18.
The halls
include Berks, Lehigh and Schuylkill, each one housing
approximately 200 students.
The three buildings opened in 1964 as a women’s dormi-
tory complex and are named for the three counties which KU
first represented as a state normal school.They were designed
by Henry D. Dagit, one of Philadelphia’s most successful
architects of churches and institutions with assistance by
George M. Ewing Co., also of Philadelphia. Construction was
completed by The Potteiger Co., Inc., West Reading.
Lehigh Hall renovations were completed in 2013 at a cost
of $7,048,648. Schuylkill Hall reopened in 2014 after a $7,288,679
renovation and Berks Hall went under reconstruction this past
year costing $9,371,883.
Today these halls are known for their unique living learning
communities. Berks Hall houses students studying education
and business, Lehigh Hall for art and exploratory studies and
Schuylkill Hall for physical sciences, biology, and first-year
students in the honors program.
A living learning community offers students an environment
in which they can live with peers in the same major, who may
also have similar class schedules.
Kent Dahlquist, director, Housing, Residence Life and
Dining Services, has been at the forefront of the expansion of
these types of communities. When he first started working for
the university in 1991, they were originally titled “special interest
housing,” which were similar to the present-day communities,
but were phased out shortly after he was hired.They were
reintroduced to Kutztown again four years ago.
LEARNING & LIVING TOGETHER
Newly renovated tri-county residence halls: Left to Right: Berks Hall, Lehigh Hall, Schuylkill Hall; Top: Berks Hall, 1967
“It all began when the Physical Sciences Department,
Honors Program and Housing, Residence Life and Dining
Services all decided to come together and personally adopt the
idea,” he said.
The first concept to be adopted was that of first-year-
student-only housing. In 2011 Lehigh, Berks, Johnson, Beck,
Rothermel and Deatrick Halls were occupied by first-year
students only.
Previously, the special interest housing units were only used
to bring together students in common majors, but eventually
the living learning communities would encompass that and
much more.
“The whole concept behind the living learning commu-
nity is to engage the student both academically and socially,”
Dahlquist said.
According to each building’s specified purpose, they all have
certain facilities to supplement students’ education. For instance,
in Lehigh Hall, which is specifically tailored toward exploratory
students and those in art majors, there are art supplies, drafting
tables and computers available for students to use.
Schuylkill Hall has faculty offices in the building where physi-
cal science, biology and honors professors hold office hours.
Berks Hall, which mainly hosts education and business
students, provides supplies for teacher candidates to create lesson
plans and educational materials found in the classroom.
A simple “collaboration” between the academic programs
and Housing and Residence Life is what makes the living
learning communities what they are today, Dahlquist says.
“They are very successful right now, and I hope to see them
grow in the future.”
There are nine communities planned for fall 2016.