One hundred fifty upperclassmen from Huston-Tillotson University moved into Teresa Hall, a residence hall on St. Edward’s University’s campus, in August. This new housing collaboration is set to last for the next three academic years.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to host Huston-Tillotson for an extended period of time on our campus because we get to share what I think the magic of the hilltop is all about,” St. Edward’s University’s vice president of student affairs Lisa Kirkpatrick said.
While Huston-Tillotson’s enrollment continues to grow, their on-campus living capacity remains insufficient. This leaves students looking elsewhere to secure housing in a city with ever-increasing rent prices. The City of Austin has promoted dialogue surrounding affordable housing for college students since councilmember Ryan Alter’s resolution passed in February.
Teresa Hall was already closed to St. Edward’s students this academic year for renovations, providing the opportunity for Huston-Tillotson students to move in. Staff from both Huston-Tillotson and St. Edward’s, including university presidents Melva Williams and Monserrat Fuentes respectively, have been in frequent communication in preparation for this housing endeavor.
“It was an intersection of their need and outreach, a strong relationship between two university presidents and then this broader conversation about having enough college housing that we were participating in,” Kirkpatrick said.
Teresa Hall’s new residents consist mainly of upperclassmen and residence staff that have already lived on Huston-Tillotson’s campus. These older students were offered Teresa Hall as a housing option to give Huston-Tillotson’s freshman a chance to live on campus, Jonas Vanderbilt, Huston-Tillotson’s vice president of student affairs, said.
Located on the east side of campus, Teresa Hall has been a part of St. Edward’s campus since 1968. Unlike housing on Huston-Tillotson’s campus, Teresa Hall is a co-ed residence hall. The building underwent expedited, infrastructural renovations over the summer in preparation for the new residents, including air conditioning and plumbing maintenance, lobby floor replacement, and updated door-access hardware installation.
“I think St. Edward’s has done a very good job in making sure our students will be comfortable and well-accommodated,” Vanderbilt said.
For Huston-Tillotson students, living at St. Edward’s also comes with access to other campus facilities, such as the Health & Counseling Center. With their newly-issued St. Edward’s identification cards, they can use their Huston-Tillotson meal plan at Hunt Hall and access the Recreation and Athletics Center.
Huston-Tillotson students anticipate that they will spend more time here on St. Edward’s campus and therefore interact more with St. Edward’s students. St. Edward’s faculty, students and staff also volunteered to help Huston-Tillotson students move into Theresa Hall.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting more St. Edward’s students,” Huston-Tillotson sophomore Jordan Hill said.
St. Edward’s still has unoccupied housing available to its own students for both temporary and permanent living. For more information regarding available university housing, please contact SEU Residence Life.
