By Tom Dalton
Staff writer
—
SALEM — Salem State College chose a rainy day to dedicate Marsh Hall, a $57.5 million residence building with a nautical theme that is docked on the edge of the Forest River like a five-story yacht that just floated into town.
The more than 200 people who attended yesterday's ribbon-cutting were treated to a jaw-dropping tour of a 525-bed building with rooftop decks, conference rooms for 50 or more, spacious apartments for faculty in residence, a fitness center, a lounge with pool and air-hockey tables, and a "dining commons" that serves all-you-can-eat meals.
"There's a soft-serve ice cream machine we're all very excited about," senior tour guide Andrew Seidel said.
Marsh Hall is the second dorm built on the Central Campus in the past six years. Together, Marsh and Atlantic halls give the college a total of five residence buildings or complexes and doubles Salem State's on-campus capacity to nearly 2,000 beds.
Although this one-time commuter school has come a long way in a few years, it may not be done. President Patricia Meservey said about 30 percent of undergraduates now live on campus, one of the lowest percentages of any state college. The goal is 50 percent, she said, which means adding another 1,000 beds.
This fall, the college will survey students to see if there is enough interest to build another residence hall. If demand is there — and officials think it will be — they expect to start planning next spring.
One of the questions students will be asked is where they would like to live, on campus or maybe somewhere else, like downtown Salem. While no decisions have been made, the college is considering options beyond its borders.
"We don't have a particular (downtown) location identified," Meservey said, "but across the country you're seeing universities looking at opportunities of placing students closer to downtowns."
Mayor Kim Driscoll supports the idea.
"We would very much like to see more college students living downtown," the mayor wrote in an e-mail. "We think it would be good for the local economy, especially as we try to build more year-round retail activity downtown."
As examples of communities that benefit from a college presence downtown, Driscoll cited, among others, next-door neighbor Beverly, whose downtown hosts Montserrat College.
Even with Marsh Hall, Salem State still trails other state colleges in the percentage of students living in residence halls.
"We're at the low end," Meservey said. "Salem State and Worcester State are both at around 30 percent. Most of the other institutions are either at or near 50 percent ..."
Studies have shown that living on campus improves grades and enriches the college experience, according to the president.
While saying Salem State has no plans to increase its enrollment, and will always be a commuter school that values the contributions of those students, Meservey said adding residence halls gives students more choices.
"You become a 24-7 institution as opposed to a 9-to-5 institution," she said, "and that really changes the experience for the students ..."
Salem State Dorms
Peabody (1965):322 students
Bowditch (1965):276 students
Bates (1990):354 students
Atlantic (2004):450 students
Marsh (2010): 525 students
Total:1,927 students
