Chadbourne Residence Hall is on track to be finished for move-in day after undergoing extensive renovations this summer as part of the Division of University Housing’s Residential Hall and Dining Services Master Plan.

The three-phase project will provide Chadbourne residents with a more modern, efficient and hospitable building, according to Keri Robbins, director of university housing marketing.

The project includes a comprehensive renovation of all interior living and communal spaces, updated electrical, air and plumbing systems, and the addition of an exterior elevator shaft that will create space for larger and improved common areas on each floor, said project manager Mark Roessler.

Every floor will have a new lounge, kitchenette and study room as well as three new bathrooms, which will allow genders to be integrated by wing rather than by floor.

Residents can also look forward to a revamped HV/AC system, which will add air conditioning to common areas and resident rooms and allow residents to independently control the temperature of their living quarters.

The Chadbourne renovations are part of a campuswide Master Plan to extensively improve and expand university housing by 2020.

Completely funded by room and board revenues, the purpose of the master plan is two-fold, according to Robbins. He said the university is first acknowledging the aging infrastructure of residential hall buildings.

“Our oldest buildings were built in 1913 and some in the ’20s,” Robbins said. “At the time those buildings were built, all the current expectations for air conditioning, heat control and electricity were really different from what students would expect today.”

The master plan will increase the capacity of university housing so every freshman has the opportunity to live on campus if they choose, which is not currently the case.

According to Robbins, every year there are typically at least a few hundred students on the waiting list for university housing. Unlike some other universities, the University of Wisconsin does not require freshman to live on campus, however, the benefits of doing so are clearly decided.

She cited a recent study done by the Office of Planning and Analysis at UW that determined there is something they call the “housing effect,” where students who live on campus and in university housing almost uniformly get higher grades and are more likely to stay through their senior year and graduate with a degree.

Living in a residence hall is a great way to adapt to college life, according to Robbins. It allows students to focus on their studies without worrying about buying groceries, building maintenance and things of that nature.

Robbins added residence halls also provide students with a valuable support net of faculty, staff and friends.

“In addition to knowing that all the people around you are peers going through the same experience that you are, you also have the opportunity to connect with the staff, academic advisors, nutritionists — people who can advise you and point you in the right direction,” Robbins said.

The next step in the master plan includes development of the Lakeshore area as well as renovation projects in Witte and Sellery, the two largest residence halls on campus housing over 1,100 students each.