As the fall quarter begins at Seattle Pacific University, returning students may notice some alterations to the campus they left in June. While Ashton Hall now welcomes residents, Hill Hall will be closed for the school year. Meanwhile, some campus dining options receive a makeover.
As you walk from Demaray to Martin Square, you will notice the C-Store has moved across the way to Weter. Assistant Director of the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership Kevin Deschler voiced his excitement for the changes.
“There’s two things I know that are coming online that I’m really excited for. One is a kind of grab-and-go C-Store in Weter, as opposed to in its former location” Deschler said, “It’s going to be kind of Amazon style, where you just scan your card, you grab it, and you walk out without having to do any kind of checkout.”
Where the C-Store used to be, students will find an expanded Einstein’s Bagels. This updated space will give students a new space to study and hang out more comfortably than the previous setup.
“They’re kind of expanding Einstein’s into a proper café, so it’ll be extended seating and have more opportunities for hanging out,” Deschler explained.
Deschler also gave insight into some of the housing changes, and which dorms would be available for the 2024-2025 school year.
“Ashton is back online following its successful upgrade from last year and Hill now is offline,” Deschler said. “My understanding is they’re going to give it a similar kind of facelift like they did with Ashton.”
First-years are required to live on campus and are offered a choice between Ashton Hall and Arnett Hall. Ashton was previously closed for renovations during the 2023-2024 school year. It was repainted, re-carpeted, and re-tiled. SPU facilities have also revamped the dorm hall’s gym.
For the first time in years, SPU opened Moyer Hall for student housing accommodations. Moyer was previously closed due to ventilation issues during COVID-19. It was available for student athletes for summer housing but is not being utilized during the school year.
Executive Director of University Services Lynn Ersting explained that scaling back regulations earlier in the year allowed the university to reopen Moyer.
“When COVID-19 regulations were… scaled back earlier this year, [it] allowed resumed use of the building, and Moyer was used over the summer for short-term temporary lodging,” Ersting said. “We are working to find ways to put this building to use for more short-term temporary lodging with guests and conferences as a long-term plan for the building is assessed.”
Before the current school year, second-years could choose between Emerson Hall and Hill Hall. Hill is currently unavailable for students and undergoing renovations.
“Plans are still being discussed for what work will be done to Hill over the coming year,” Ersting said. “Similar to Ashton, we hope to accomplish a mix between addressing necessary building systems, aesthetic elements and functional amenities. We’ll be reaching out to students, likely through more feedback-collecting sessions, to gather input.”
Emerson is now a housing option for second-year students and up. Third- and fourth-year students who choose to stay in Emerson will be given single-person units, contrary to the traditional two- or three-person setup Emerson has used in the past. The dorm will also remain open during winter and spring break for students and residents to remain in if they choose, similar to the campus apartments.
Ersting announced this new model in spring 2024 and assured that Housing Services and Residence Life will work together to ensure clear communication of expectations, community standards and amenities to the students living in Emerson this year.
“Our partners at Residence Life engage students in purposeful ways depending on the stage they are in of their college career, which will continue no matter where students are living,” Ersting said. “We are working to honor what students expected when they signed up for housing in spring to the best of our ability.”
Campus apartments have been affected the least during this process. Most options, such as the Falcon Doubles, the Emerson Triplex, and the Wesley Apartments are still available for students. Only the Bailey Apartments and the Davis Apartments are unavailable to students this year.
Ersting clarified that the closures are cycled every year in consideration of student life and campus resources. Because the Davis and Bailey apartments are farther from campus, Housing Services decided to hold both buildings offline for the 2024-2025 year.
“Housing Services (in collaboration with other departments on campus) regularly holds some housing units ‘offline’ each year for a variety of reasons: demand, maintenance, emergency housing,” Ersting said. “This decision-making process also includes large-scale planning that aims to create a vibrant and lively campus experience for our students and stewards our campus resources to the best of our ability.”
Any further questions about student housing should be directed to SPU Housing Services: Lynn Ersting at (206) 281-2752 or [email protected] and Dan Faires at (206) 281-2341 or [email protected].
