WKU holds ribbon cutting to dedicate its two newest residence halls in its first-year village

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - Western Kentucky University is celebrating the dedication of its two newest residence halls in the university’s first-year village.

WKU’s first-year village officially opened in the fall semester of 2021. The $48 million living-learning complex features two new pod-style residence halls. They house the majority of WKU’s Living Learning Communities (LLC).

Typically at WKU, LLC students with similar academic or social interests live together in a residence hall. It is designed to help students with social and academic connections.

On Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, President Tim Caboni alongside WKU officials and one first-year student gave remarks on the project.

President Caboni was able to listen to Jake Jones’ testimony about living in one of the newest residence halls and benefitting from it.

“Getting to hear from a young person who comes from a small town, who was maybe a little bit trepidatious, of coming to WKU, in a big community, to have the opportunity to build a cohort of friends and colleagues that have supported him along the way, and divert for him to develop deep relationships with faculty and staff. It was outstanding, just one of many stories that you’re going to hear over the next months and years about young people whose lives are transformed because they were part of the first-year village,” says Caboni.

The first-year-village project is part of a 10-year strategic plan to optimize the on-campus living experience for current and future students.

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