OA Annual Report 2023

ENROLLMENT GROWTH INCREASES RESIDENTIAL HOUSING OPTIONS

By Catherine Mickey Saunders ‘98, Vice President for Advancement

Alumnae from the 1990s, 2000s and even the 2010s may remember empty rooms in Le Fer Hall or suites occupied by only one student enjoying a dorm that felt more like an apartment. With nearly 400 students living on campus in 2023 24, that lifestyle is a shadow of the past. Today, it is common to see four and five students in a suite sharing a bathroom and using the community bath as needed. Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) was a small women’s college struggling to attract enough students to fill only a fraction of the beds in our century-old Le Fer Hall,” said Janet Clark,Ph.D., provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. At a time when many schools are failing to meet enrollment goals, SMWC has been blessed with sustained campus enrollment since 2020. To meet the needs of the growing residential population, the College broke ground in 2021 on its first new residential building in one hundred years! Les Bois Hall is home to a 92 bed residential hall, Doherty Dining Center, the College Bookstore and the Marketplace, a convenient store for the campus community. Even with the addition of Les Bois Hall, two more housing options were needed in the fall. After almost 60 years of providing rooms to visitors, trustees, alumni board members, faculty and more, the Goodwin Guest House was converted to student housing during the summer of 2023. After a quick transition it became the Lake House, a 42-bed residential hall filled primarily with double-double suites sharing a bathroom. For the first time, an off-campus housing option was offered at University Village in Terre Haute (about a 10-minute commute to campus). These strategic changes “We can no longer operate as we did a decade ago when Saint

enabled SMWC to welcome the largest incoming class and campus population in its history in Fall 2023. Applications are tracking ahead of last year, and the incoming class will be larger than the graduating class that leaves. The campus is projected to be at capacity once again in Fall 2024. To be ready for another large residential population, housing remained a priority for campus leadership throughout the year. “The campus life team evaluated Le Fer Hall room configurations this winter. We found efficiencies and adjusted room occupancies for the next academic year, enabling us to offer more double and triple rooms. This will increase housing capacity in Fall 2024,” shared Provost Clark. In addition, the white house on the west side of Le Fer Lake, owned by the Sisters of Providence, will be added to our list of unique housing options known as Le Pont Hall, French for “the bridge.” Provost Clark said, “Le Pont Hall will provide a unique experience for six academically successful junior or senior Guerin Scholars. We are happy to have the opportunity to add it to our residential offerings next year. Not only does it add more beds, but it provides more variety and allows our students to have more freedom as they are drawing closer to graduation.” Considering all the changes and additions made in recent years, SMWC could have 530 beds available for campus students in Fall 2024. The campus life team has revamped the housing process for both returning and new students and is eager to see how their new procedures, coupled with the College’s varied offerings, will provide Woods students with a start to a positive housing experience next year.

Le Fer Hall

Les Bois Hall

The Lake House

Le Pont Hall

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