The dorm that is currently known as the New Freshmen Residence Hall. Photo from UAB NewsTamara Imam - Managing Editormanaging@insideuab.com
The 714-bed, 221,804-square-foot residence hall that officially opened to first-time freshmen last fall to accommodate the growing demand for on-campus housing is currently known as the New Freshmen Residence Hall.
Last June, when the official UAB Students Twitter account tweeted just before incoming freshmen arrived on campus that the new residence hall would be named Founders Hall, former director of Academics and Student Services at UAB Carolyn Farley said that the name was merely a placeholder for the official one. According to John R. Jones III, Ph.D., the current Vice President for Student Affairs, ‘New Freshmen Residence Hall’ will soon be replaced by an official name.
According to Jones, the dedication of an official name for the building is still in the works and is being discussed in concert with the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees, which he says is the procedure for the naming of all of UAB’s buildings.
“I am excited to share with you that the New Freshmen Residence Hall is in line to receive a name and it is currently under discussion with the board,” Jones said. “We look forward to announcing the name as soon as it has been determined.”
According to Edward Youn, who served as a Resident Assistant in the NFRH last year, freshmen residents did not seem to be bothered by the lack of an official name for their residence hall and actually grew accustomed to it.
“The main thing that I noticed was that some residents referred to and continued to refer to the building as ‘Founders Hall’ and not ‘New Freshmen Residence Hall,’” Youn said. “I didn’t have any complaints or further questions regarding the lack of the name. If anything, the name just became a part of everyday life for the residents.”
Jones’ office did not respond to inquiry about the delay in the official naming of the residence hall, but said that the next Board of Trustees meeting will be held on Sept. 22 and 23.
