Augusta University’s student housing ushers in new era

Augusta University’s Health Sciences Campus is becoming a residential college campus with the opening of its new student housing facilities, Oak Hall and Elm Hall.

Known as Jaguar Park collectively, Oak and Elm Halls combined offer more than 700 beds to undergraduate and graduate/professional students. The state-of-the-art facilities, located in the heart of the university’s Health Sciences Campus, replaced Residence IV and Residence V, which had a combined total of only about 100 beds.

Augusta University President Dr. Brooks Keel and other distinguished guests cut the ribbon on Jaguar Park Thursday.

“Oak Hall and Elm Hall have changed the face of the Health Sciences Campus, and I can already see evidence of how they are changing the lives of our students by giving them a richer living-learning experience. Our graduate and professional students are now just steps from their classes, labs, and clinical experiences. New freshmen are now located on campus and in walking distance to the wellness center, the health sciences student activity center, Atrium Dining Hall, and the student health center. We know students are at their best and have a brighter future when they’re engaged in their university. By making Oak Hall or Elm Hall their home, students have found the ideal place and space to live, connect, and nurture lifelong friendships,” said Dr. Keel.

Corvias Campus Living was selected to develop, construct, renovate, and maintain student housing by the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents in a public-private partnership for nine institutions, including Augusta University.

“Today we ceremoniously open the doors of new student housing that will both accommodate and transform Augusta University. The process leading up to this moment has focused on shaping a sense of community with residences for undergraduate and graduate students at the medical center and it’s been a rewarding one. We’re very excited about this transformation in Augusta,” said Corvias Campus Living Portfolio Director Jimmy Scott.

Oak Hall, the undergraduate residence, is composed primarily of two-bedroom suites with a student in each room and two-bedroom suites with two students per room. Each suite is fully furnished and has its own bathroom. 

Elm Hall, the primarily graduate residence, has fully furnished studio, one-bedroom, one-bath and two-bedroom, two-bath apartments, each with their own kitchen and breakfast bar.

In addition to living spaces, Oak and Elm Halls also offer a variety of chat, gather and connect spaces for studying and social interaction. These spaces, found on each floor of the residences, offer traditional table-and-chair seating, soft seating for lounging and expansive views of the Health Sciences Campus through large windows.

“We are very excited about the transformational potential of new student housing on the medical center campus and the university’s efforts to enhance the living-learning experience for AU undergraduate and graduate students,” said University System of Georgia Associate Vice Chancellor for Fiscal Affairs Susan Ridley.

Oak Hall by the numbers:
•    97,665 gross square feet
•    412 beds
•    68 four-person residences
•    66 two-person residences
•    10 resident assistants
•    One residence life coordinator

Elm Hall by the numbers:
•    172,330 gross square feet
•    312 beds
•    202 studio apartments
•    98 one-bedroom apartments
•    Five two-bedroom apartments
•    Five resident assistants
•    One residence life coordinator