Multiple ribbons were cut today in front of Skidmore Hall, the first new student dormitory added to Trinity Western University in a quarter century.
Most current students weren’t even born 25 years ago, when the last time new student accommodations were built at the Langley campus of the failth-based university, located along the Trans-Canada Highway in Langley.
An opening celebration was held Wednesday with the 130-bed residence named after a long-time supportive Langley family, explained university president Bob Kuhn.
“This is an exciting day for the TWU community,” Kuhn said.
“The opening of Skidmore Hall is a clear indication of our growth over the past three years.”
In recent years, TWU’s 900 existing residence beds were filled, and some double-occupancy room were converted into triple-occupancy to meet the demand.
Kuhn acknowledged that some upper year students were still turned away from on-campus housing due to inadequate supply.
Dignitaries at the opening learned that this new building will accommodate predominantly first-year students.
Skidmore Hall is just part of several expansions efforts made this year, including a new cafe, expansion of the cafeteria, and renovations to the bookstore to facilitate what Kuhn called a “burgeoning student population.”
New university campaigns have been credited with increasing interest and subsequent enrolment that he said makes TWU the fastest growing Christian university in Canada.
“It provides clear evidence that TWU is attracting more students interested in our unique and expanding education opportunities, caring faculty and staff, and vibrant student community on the doorstep of a world-class city,” Kuhn said.
“Thanks to the addition of Skidmore Hall, there is more room for students from local communities, across Canada and other countries to experience this extraordinary university.”
The new student housing is a modular structure, built by Langley-based ATCO.
The new residence is named in honour of the Skidmore family, long-time supporters of TWU who have had many members of their family graduate from the post-secondary institution.