Beginning in the 2025 fall semester, freshman will no longer live in one residence hall. For the past several years, female first-year students lived in Mary Gaston Residence Hall and male first-year students lived in R.K. Johnson Residence Hall.  

In March, Student Life introduced “freshmen halls.” These freshmen halls are housed in every residential dorm, rather than just one. This concept retains the benefits of the “first-year experience,” while integrating the freshmen with the sophomores, juniors and seniors. The assistant group leaders and group leaders for freshmen halls will continue to room together and retain a crucial role in discipling the new students.

“There will still be just as many opportunities for a student to directly influence the freshmen through a GL or AGL position on a freshman hall,” said Ashley Rush, the Gaston dorm supervisor. “These opportunities will just be available in more than two residence halls.”

Student Life cited stronger community, discipleship, relationships and residential hall identity as the reasons behind the change.  

“We will be able to take the benefits of First Year Residence Halls (intentional programming, selected leadership, and shared experience), and spread this throughout all the residence halls by having freshman halls,” Rush said. “Freshmen will experience more interaction with upperclassmen earlier on. Upperclassmen, that’s your cue to intentionally welcome your residence hall’s freshmen next semester!”

With the integration of residential students, freshmen will benefit from relationships from all classifications. Each freshmen hall will build its own identity and culture within the dorm. 

 “We’ll have the opportunity of instilling a sense of belonging by allowing freshmen to stay in their residence hall all four years, if desired, and be mentored by some of the same leadership and staff for more than one year,” Rush said.