In response to the significant increase in demand for on-campus housing following the rapid occupation of Oak View Hall in fall 2015, as well as the increase in demand for rooms during the 2016-17 school year, Oakland University Housing is taking steps to expand.

On June 8, members of the OU community gathered to celebrate the progress and development of the Southern Student Housing Complex in their groundbreaking ceremony in P24.

“Today is a landmark day,” said Glenn McIntosh, vice president of Student Affairs. “Today is a representation of how Oakland University is living boldly, intentionally and on the cutting edge of institutions of higher education.”

McIntosh also described the South Campus Build as a “cutting edge project that will work to elevate Oakland’s already robust campus life.”

There were a number of local, county and state officials present at the ceremony, including Congressmen Mike Bishop and Dave Trott, as well as Rochester Mayor Bryan Barnett.

Members of the OU Board of Trustees were also present, in addition to University President George Hynd, who spoke about his excitement for the expansion.

“I am absolutely honored to death to be here today,” Hynd said. “They say ‘build and they will come,’ but lucky for Oakland University, the students are already here and are ready to join the campus resident community.”

Hynd touched on the institution’s readiness to welcome and invigorate the hearts and minds of students who are preparing and creating the foundation for their careers.

“Oakland University takes pride in the 97% of graduated students that stay to work and live in Michigan, and we are ready to prepare the next generation of working individuals in the state of Michigan,” Hynd said.

Director of University Housing James Zentmeyer, former Resident Assistant Alexandria Nixon and Shayne Hearns, student and Housing employee, were among others who spoke during the ceremony. Each touched on the various aspects of residence life and shared their personal experiences.

“Building No. 9 will be the next step in expanding the mission of University Housing to excel in serving students, faculty and staff through our cutting-edge project,” Zentmeyer said. “We are bursting at the seams to accommodate the students and staff who breathe life into each brick of every building, and who make living at Oakland University something truly special.”

The Southern Student Housing Complex will include 750 beds, in a 289,000-square-foot complex. This will be made complete with a full-service dining hall and Panera-style micro restaurant, in hopes of transforming the building into the new “crossroads of campus” by accommodating more than just the building’s residents.

The building has yet to be named, and is scheduled to open in fall 2018. It is planned to accommodate students of sophomore and junior status.

For more information and updates regarding the project’s progress, contact University Housing at [email protected].