By Alex Gary - August 25th 2024

 

BELOIT

Beloit College officials celebrated the re-opening of Whitney Hall Friday morning, a day before all students were allowed back on campus.

Workers spent this summer doing a “total refurbishment” of the now 60-year-old dorm at a cost of $2 million. Whitney is one of five residence halls on the college campus built in 1964.

It is the first in what is planned to be a series of residential hall upgrades as part of Beloit College Eric Boynton’s plan to focus on improving the student experience.

Daniel Schoof, vice president of advancement and facilities, said Blaisdell Hall, next door to Whitney, would be next on the list. The college is doing a fundraising feasibility study to see if it’s possible to do that project next summer. Beloit College raised nearly $690,000 from 850 donors in March for the Whitney project through its annual Giving Day campaign.

“Blaisdell is a twin of Whitney so it would be efficient to do that next because we already have the plans drawn up,” Schoof said. “If things come together on the fundraising feasibility, it could happen as soon as next summer.”

While the Whitney project came in on time, the torrential rain that kept the Rock River closed much of the summer delayed another project.

Water got into the lower level of the Col. Robert H. Morse Library in June, which has been undergoing a $10 million renovation since the spring of 2023. Work continued on the second and third levels and students will be able to use those when classes start on Monday.

The lower level, which is where Impact Beloit will be located, won’t be ready until late September. Impact Beloit will enhance the college’s career-prep programs, including Career Channels, Career Works, the Center for Entrepreneurship in Liberal Education (CELEB), along with other community outreach initiatives.

Schoof said a large community celebration for the project will be held in October.

Founded in 1846, Beloit College is Wisconsin’s oldest continuously operating college. It also is one of Beloit’s 10 largest employers with more than 375 workers.

 

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