Residents of the incoming class of 2018 at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) will be permitted to dorm in the new building beginning summer 2014. However, for their remaining three years at FCLC, the incoming class of residents will be required to dorm in McMahon Hall.

According to Jenifer Campbell, director of residential life at FCLC, the incoming freshmen class will still be guaranteed housing for all four years at the Lincoln Center campus. “It is still the case that students will be guaranteed housing here; it is indigenous to the Lincoln Center campus,” she said. “[First year students] will still be guaranteed housing for all four years, but they will move from the new building into McMahon Hall after their first year.”

Starting with the incoming class of 2018, all first-year students will be expected to reside in McMahon Hall during their second year. “All first-year students will reside in the new residence hall,” Campbell said. “After their first year, their freshman year, they will segue through the lottery process in the spring of 2015. Afterwards, [these students] will be selected into McMahon Hall for the fall of 2015.”

Housing is only available for freshmen students because of the structure of the new building. “[The new building] is designated for first year space because of the configuration of the building and things of that nature,” Campbell said. “[The new building] is a traditional hall setting for what would be undergraduate students; there would be double and triple rooms separated by a bathroom environment.”

According to Keith Eldredge, dean of student affairs at FCLC, there are many benefits to McMahon Hall. However, the configuration of the current residence hall makes it difficult to build community among students.

The format of the new residence hall is meant to create community among first-year students. “[The new building] does not have an apartment style setting like McMahon Hall,” Campbell said. “It was specifically built with the idea of creating community because of the way the rooms and lounge spaces are configured.”

The freshmen will occupy 12 floors of the new residence hall. “Groups of freshmen in the dorm are separated into six communities on these 12 floors,” Eldredge said. “Each community is themed; the theme is Catholic heroes.”

Furthermore, the configuration of the new residence hall will assist freshmen in getting to know their peers. “The [new residence hall] will help the freshmen make relationships with their roommate, as well as the other students on their floor,” Eldredge said.

In addition, the new building can only accommodate a certain amount of students. “The new building can accommodate about 400 undergraduate students, including our staff members,” Campbell said. “Other than the first year students, just the staff can be housed there. But [the new building] is exclusively meant for first-year students.”

Based on information from past surveys conducted by student affairs, Eldredge noted that it would be best for all the freshmen to live exclusively in the same building. “[Student affairs] evaluated that it would be best for freshmen to live with fellow freshmen; it is reassuring to incoming freshmen and their parents,” he said.