Southern University of New Orleans to Build the First Dormitories in Its 51-Year History

Prior to Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, the Southern University campus in New Orleans was strictly a commuter college. After the hurricane devastated its campus and enrollments dropped due to an overall loss in the city’s population, officials at the university devised a plan to boost enrollments by offering residence halls for out-of-town students.

These plans are a step closer to reality now that the university has secured a $44 million low-interest loan from the U.S. Department of Education. The funds will be used to construct dormitories that will house up to 600 students on campus. The residence halls, which will be the first in the university’s 51-year history, are expected to be completed for the 2008-09 academic year.

Copyright © 2007. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.