For years, Threlkeld Hall was home to U of L honors and scholarship students. However, the Honors living-learning community is set to relocate to Kurz Hall in 2016-2017.
“In moving to Kurz, we hope to expand the available number of rooms for both entering and current honors students,” says Luke Buckman, assistant director for student programming and development in the University Honors Program.
Both current and incoming honors students will be able to apply to live in the Honors LLC next year, says Buckman. “Honors wants to help create a residence experience that is appealing to students at all levels.”
Built in 1962, Threlkeld Hall has the capacity for approximately 250 students. It is a traditional residence hall where students occupy double rooms, and each floor has its own restroom and shower facilities. Kurz Hall, in comparison, is run by ULH, Inc. and is a suite-style building.
Michelle Massey, associate director of housing, says that Kurz Hall can accommodate around 400 Honors LLC students next fall. This number will include spaces for about 100 upperclassmen.
“The Provost has a goal for us to grow our living-learning communities up to 15 percent. We are at about 10 percent right now,” says Massey. “We realized that if we went to a larger building, we would increase the Honors learning community and meet that challenge all in one big swoop.”
Kurz provides the Honors LLC with more space for programming. Buckman says that Kurz Hall has a number of spaces that could be appealing to incoming honors students, like a computer lab, conference and meeting rooms and study lounges.
Although the LLC is set to relocate next fall, the Etscorn Honors Center in Threlkeld and the Overseers Honors House will continue to be home to the program’s director, advising staff and the Office of National and International Scholarships.
“We will continue to offer courses in Etscorn and Overseers classrooms as well as in Kurz; thus making the courses even more convenient to students,” says Buckman.
Nick Seibold, a 2015 graduate, lived in the Threlkeld for all four years of his undergraduate career. During his senior year, he became a Threlkeld Hall resident assistant.
“Threlkeld is, at its core, a building that focuses on community,” says Seibold. “When you’re not forced to share a bathroom with everyone on your floor, it makes it harder to engage in an LLC.”
However, given the fact that Kurz Hall will open up the Honors LLC to more students, Seibold is optimistic about the relocation.
“If they are trying to get more people into this living-learning community, I think that it is a totally good thing for both the students and the LLC,” says Seibold.
The relocation of the Honors LLC was a joint decision made by Housing and Residence Life and the University Honors Program. Buckman says the Office of Admissions and the Vice Provost for Student Affairs support the decision.
To accommodate the Honors LLC, Massey says the Pre-Dental and Public Health LLCs will relocate to Community Park. Threlkeld Hall will remain in use, housing students that are not part of an LLC.
Photo courtesy / The University of Louisville
