Macon State College
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Residence Life
Macon State students have been telling us for years they want campus housing and a chance to have a traditional college residential experience. That opportunity is finally coming their way.
Learn Here. Live Here. That’s the theme of Macon State College’s long-awaited residence life program, a major milestone in the school’s history that kicks off fall 2010.
The first step involves Macon State assuming management of an existing apartment community across from the west end of the campus. More than 300 qualified students will be able to live there in apartments that are now undergoing renovation.
Macon State is already adding residence life staff members – some of whom will live on site – and public safety officers. By fall, the college will roll out extracurricular programs associated with living on campus. Down the road, Macon State will build new student housing units on campus and later will add facilities for student activities. “This is a monumental step forward for Macon State College,” said President David A. Bell.
Bell said Macon State is able to introduce residence life during challenging economic times because student housing is not paid for with state appropriations. Residence life will be supported by students paying rent to live on campus. What all Macon State students will get in return is an even more exciting college experience. “A residential student population will bring rich dimensions to the campus community that we’ve never
been able to explore,” said Lynn McCraney, dean of students. “And all of our students will benefit, not just those who live on campus.” “Macon State has been a four-year college for a long time now,” said Greg Padgett, current president of the Student Government Association. “We’re one of the largest public colleges in the state without housing. This will give more students a chance to have the kind of college experience they want.” “Residence life and on campus housing will give students who are away from home for the first time the support they need to get the most out of college.” Says Navatni Webb, a current student.
According to a feasibility study conducted for the college, nearly 500 students would live in housing on the Macon campus if it was available today. The study found that student housing is not – for now – in great demand on the Warner Robins Campus. Residence life will make Macon State a more attractive option to potential students living outside
the college’s traditional Central Georgia service area. Macon State already attracts some students from just south of Atlanta who find the commute to Central
Georgia less congested than trying to get to a school north of their homes. However, the primary target audience for residence life is students from Central Georgia who want to stay close to home but also enjoy a traditional college experience.
“There are many students who fit that category, probably more than people realize,” McCraney said. “We all know young adults in our community who are anxious to ‘go away’ to college, but it turns out that for many of them, they don’t feel the need to go far as long as they can live on campus and get a taste of independence.”
Macon State had been one of the few remaining University System institutions without housing. Of the 35 colleges and universities, fewer than 10 do not offer student housing. Some students interviewed for the feasibility study said they have friends from Central Georgia who left the area to attend residential colleges but would have chosen Macon State had it offered housing. For years, two of the most searched-for terms on the Macon State website have been “housing” and “dorms.”Without student housing, the college has been at a disadvantage with its academic competitors.
Besides boosting the college’s competitiveness, residence life will help Macon State increase student retention, one of the University System’s highest priorities. Residential students are more likely to participate in campus activities - a huge factor in retention – and benefit academically by having ready access to the Library, Academic Resource Center, and other services. “Residence life is the next big step in Macon State’s evolution,” Bell said. “We’ve developed bachelor’s degrees. We’ve built new buildings. We’ve hired great professors. Now, we again have an opportunity to provide students with the kind of college experience they’ve long wanted and help Macon State become an even greater asset to Central Georgia.”