<p>These dorms will be worth more than the entire endowment of most universities. </p>
<p>Of course, to put it in perspective, Yale is already spending close to $400M per year on construction, so I guess this isn't such a big deal. But they have had to import construction crews from hundreds of miles around. Kind of like Dubai.</p>
<p>And you KNOW that future CC denizens will be excited because Yale will be able to accept more freshmen!</p>
<p>
[quote]
For that price, the University could nearly buy three average single-family homes in the New Haven area for each of the 400 students.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Wow! I guess "pleasure-palace" is the right term.</p>
<p>The existing 12 colleges are already pleasure palaces, as Yale's campus (particularly the colleges, but also the library and a few other buildings) is by far the most expensive and lavishly ornamented university campus ever built in world history. Thanks to the railroad barons and standard oil affiliates of the 19th and early 20th century.</p>
<p>They can't create two new ones that aren't up to par.</p>
<p>I don't know whether to laugh or be appalled. Is Yale taking a leaf out of Oprah's schoolbook? My favorite quotes:
[quote]
But, he said, “You’re also talking about Yale — what would be acceptable at [most schools] would not be acceptable in a new residence hall … at Yale.”
[/quote]
[quote]
“It would really be a mistake to add residential colleges that did not have the kind of spaciousness and amenities of our existing colleges,” Levin said in an interview Sunday. “You wouldn’t want to create a sort of second-class status at Yale.”
[/quote]
</p>
<p>It's too bad Yale isn't building them for grad students. As a prospie, that'd be awesome.</p>
<p>From what I've heard, two new residential colleges just for grad students are also in the works. Still technically a rumor at this point, but I can say that it is definitely not an unfounded one.</p>
<p>Also, most grad students live in East Rock, a well-heeled neighborhood just to the north and east of campus - lots of outdoor cafes, gourmet grocers, million dollar victorian homes, etc. I'm not sure they would really want to live in a more institutional setting.</p>
<p>I have to say, I am appalled. The article references the last time Harvard and Yale built residential colleges (45 years ago) and noted the spending was considerably less lavish then (I am adjusting for inflation). It's not surprising that people are beginning to question the tax-exempt status of the top-tier schools.</p>
<p>While I have a child in 'HYP', and am not a socialist by any means, I have to say I am far from happy to read this. I hope this does not become a trend.</p>
<p>Ailey, what's wrong with having a well-equipped dormitory? True, Yale goes WAAAAAAAAAAAY above and beyond anyone else, even incorporating classes, libraries, full-service theaters and performance halls, workshops, bowling alleys, gymnasiums, enormous 6BR faculty mansions, dean flats, dining halls compared to 4-star restaurants, late night cafes ("butteries"), piano performance rooms, grad student apartments etc into its residential colleges, but isn't the building of a tightly-knit, intellectual and vibrant community kind of the point of a college? Yale does this better than anyone else - which is why many other schools have tried to copy its model exactly in recent years, though typically with very limited success because they simply aren't willing to pony up 600 million dollars.</p>
<p>The fact Yale has amazing dormitories is one of the reason why it is so diverse in the sense that different groups, and even different ages, actually interact. Diversity on paper means nothing; diversity in the sense of having an environment that people of different backgrounds/races/pursuits/persuasions actually feel comfortable interacting in, on a constant basis, is very valuable.</p>
<p>You can think of these as little utopian oases. Go visit Yale for a few days and you'll see what I mean; the vibrancy and diversity of the campus is unmatched by any other university in America (and I've been to hundreds).</p>
<p>"...even incorporating classes, libraries, full-service theaters and performance halls, workshops, bowling alleys, gymnasiums..."</p>
<p>Aren't these amenities they would have to build in any event if they built new dorms?</p>
<p>I have seen rooms in a few of the colleges, including Ds, and I would hardly term them "pleasure palaces."</p>
<p>PosterX, I've nothing against well-equipped dorms. But an average of $741K / resident? (I am not in the construction business, so I've no idea what it takes to build dorms, which is why I found the comparison to the approach and budget of 45 years ago useful.)</p>
<p>Anyway, there are going to be multiple points of view, but as I said, it's not surprising to me at all that, given endowment growths, tuition continuing to outpace inflation by a lot inspite of that, and lavish expenditures of this type, that the top colleges are beginning to be questioned about the authenticity of their non-profit designation ......</p>
<p>Quite the opposite - a lot of people would rather see MORE funding go to these institutions, rather than less, given that they are one of the most successful industries in the U.S. What other industries in America are as successful as higher education? Even before you consider the jobs and taxes that they produce indirectly, and the amount of foreign money/talent that they bring in (especially the top 10-20 ones), you have to factor in their impact on our economy. A lot of the leading industries in the U.S. wouldn't be here if our universities were not so good. I would propose a doubling of government funding for universities, across the board - not attempts to take money away from them. The $740K/resident makes sense when you consider the amenities that go into such facilities, which I detailed above. It's also a figure for construction that will take place several years out, and current inflation rates on materials are quite high - in fact, $600M might not be enough.</p>
<p>There's a lot that gets put into these colleges. Prepping the site will cost roughly $40 million alone, and the two colleges are supposed to cost $260 million to $280 million each. They will house 400 students. Now, this figure may seem like a lot given that Princeton's Whitman College that houses 500 only cost $136 million. However, there are several things that must be taken into account. First is that they're probably going to be very spacious colleges. Second is that they're going to get green certification, which is very costly to implement. Secondly, these are very difficult to build infrastructurally. Yale not only needs to build hard-as-rock colleges, but it has to hire lead architects whose plans alone will cost millions. It has to hire fast-track contractors. Most of all, however, Yale will need to make this second campus, if you will, a veritable campus. Currently the Science Hill area is a hodgepodge of buildings that, while pretty, could be drastically set off by the addition of two huge edifices (and the new School of Management they're building nearby). I wouldn't be surprised if Yale were to build several buffer buildings, which will probably house a vast number of college common rooms (movie theaters, squash courts, basketball courts, libraries, seminar rooms, kitchens, common rooms, etc.).</p>
<p>These problems still may not be enough to justify the $300 million cost when one considers that Silliman, which is Yale's largest college, cost $100 million to renovate, and JE, one of the smaller colleges, is currently undergoing an estimated $61.6 million renovation. However, when one accounts for the rapidly rising prices of steel, granite, labor and also the added cost of building institutionally as opposed to building a residence, it's quite possible that were one to completely reconstruct JE (including adding power and pipes to the site, underground, etc.) it would cost north of $150 million and Silliman north of $200 milion. Considering that the two new colleges will house freshmen, unlike JE, this isn't completely unreasonable. Furthermore, unlike PosterX, I think Yale is going to make these colleges superior in certain ways to the current colleges. While 13 and 14 will certainly lack the tradition of the original 10 and even Morse and Stiles, that will be more than compensated for by a luxurious living standard--perhaps all singles even--and more common space per student. It's kind of outrageous, in a way, since colleges like Calhoun and Trumbull lack space, whereas 13 and 14 are likely to provide more overall common areas than Davenport or Silliman.</p>
<p>Also consider that the estimated $600 includes inflation over the potential course of construction. At the very earliest I'd expect occupancy of these new colleges (if the administration approves them) in 2015. In 10 years, the purchasing power of $600 million will probably be more like $450-500 million in today's dollars.</p>
<p>Ailey: On the surface, the numbers seem mind-boggling; I agree. However, why can one fault them for re-investing into the community and area -- can you imagine the economic effect that the multi-billions spent over the last twenty years has had on CT? When I graduated, its endowment was $2B. Now it's near $23B. Should it NOT spend it on making the school better? Are we to penalize Yale because its very wise, lucky and successful (as a matter of fact the top performing endowment)?</p>
<p>Yale is a unique scenario: granted. But it's not like it's just gonna sit on the pile of cash ($100M science campus acquisition just this past summer). I applaud them for continuing to be forward thinking</p>
<p>I'm all for the science campus! :) Also for investing in the college and the learning community...
I think my concerns on the residential college cost are philosophical, and have to do with the message of entitlement one sends young people, but certainly I agree Yale is investing in many things that are worthwhile and valuable. So I'll focus on those, and bury my unease :)</p>
<p>I can understand that totally Ailey. I live in an upper middle class suburb w/great schools and everyone "climbing" upwards w/two school aged girls whom I'm trying to raise to not feel entitled too. </p>
<p>If I can share about my own time at Yale, I knew that my surroundings were ornate and filled w/tradition. I knew that there were riches both monetarily, culturally and academically around me. My facilities were nice (and it's all relative cuz my college wasn't renovated) but I, and a good no. of my peers knew that our time spent at Y was not only to propel us towards making $. Yale's stewardship of me infused me and many others with a strong sense of public service.</p>
<p>Iraq is projected to cost $2,400,000,000,000 by the time these two dormitories are built, just to keep things in perspective.</p>