The University of Wyoming is moving forward with plans to build two new residence halls as part of a five-year strategic plan approved last week by the UW Board of Trustees.

The strategic plan allocated $300,000 for a 10-year housing plan which included the construction of the residence halls. The university hopes to have the residence halls built or under construction by 2022. The plans will be carried out by KSQ Design, a planning, architecture, engineering and interior design company specializing in campus planning and student life facilities, according to a UW news release.

UW Spokesman Chad Baldwin said the new housing plan is very much a part of the efforts to increase enrollment.

"Having a more modern living situation will help us achieve our enrollment goals," Baldwin said.

Previous studies found that the current residence halls at UW are falling short of the expectations of today’s students and puts the university at a competitive disadvantage with other institutions. Increasing enrollment is one of the main goals outlined in the strategic plan, which aims to increase the number of students by 1,200.

The university currently has seven residence halls that house about 2,100 students and includes dining facilities. The newest of the residence halls, White Hall, was constructed in 1967.

Baldwin said that the location of the Crane Hill complex on campus is being assessed as a possible site for the new residence halls, but that the plan is still being developed and is subject to change.

The university also moved to solicit proposals from firms for a study of UW’s enrollment capacity, which will include the possibility of offering reduced tuition rate for some out-of-state students. The deadline for firms to submit proposals was set at Aug. 7. The study will examine UW’s enrollment capacity within current resources, as well as the cost of adding more students.

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