With Magis Hall set to open in the fall and house about 400 sophomores, changes are once again coming to on-campus housing at Creighton University’s Omaha campus. 

Next academic year, freshmen will live in Deglman Hall, McGloin Hall, Swanson Hall and Graves Hall; sophomores will be in Magis, Davis Square, Opus Hall, Heider Hall and upperclassmen will be in Kenefick Hall.  

Having previously been housed in Opus, moving juniors and seniors to Kenefick is something many didn’t see coming. However, Director of Housing and Auxiliary Services Adam Stafford argued that it has benefits upperclassmen may appreciate. For instance, Kenefick is cheaper than Opus. 

“I think I understand the feeling of ‘I’ve been here for two years or three years. I’ve paid my dues. I want to be in Opus,’ but I think that, to me, really prioritizes one aspect of Opus more than anything else, which is having a private bedroom. … Junior [and] senior housing is often driven by a need rather than a want, because there’s such limited amounts of [on campus] housing. … I heard from a lot of students who were like ‘I can’t afford to live off campus. I can’t stay at Creighton and pay the prices of living outside, or I don’t have a car,’” Stafford said. “The most expensive option on campus was the only option available for juniors and seniors, so those students who were cost conscious or driven by a need to stay on campus had to pay that premium price.” 

He also said it offers more dedicated parking and that the building’s location will only get better with time. 

“I think where Kenefick sits is going to, over the next five to 10 years, be more exciting with the development going on over at that site where the Civic Auditorium used to be,” Stafford said. “That part of town is going to continue to see some transition. … So, in that sense, Kenefick’s going to be a little bit more exciting than it seems right now.” 

He also praised Kenefick’s views, calling them the “best,” and said the hope is to renovate the building over time.  

To try to accommodate upperclassmen’s desire for a private bedroom, the university offered private studio-style apartments in Kenefick. It’s the first time Creighton has offered private dorm rooms to students without accommodations for them. Kenefick will be split about half and half for private and shared dorm rooms, according to Stafford. 

Looking to the future, Stafford hopes to eventually be able to have more upperclassmen and even graduate student housing. It just remains uncertain when that time will come.  

“As long as there’s an interest and a drive for upperclassmen to be here, I would love to create space for them,” he said. “I would also hope that graduate and professional school students could start to have a place here on campus too. … It really enriches the academic spirit of the campus community. I think it gives undergrads an opportunity to get more connections and to have more preparedness for the world that they’re hoping to step into [by connecting with graduate students]. I think it gives faculty more opportunities to engage with students on campus, because there’s this interesting cross-section of students who are here living and available. Obviously [there are] some logistics to figure out in terms of finance and in terms of placement … but if we can solve all of that, I think the campus community is only elevated by trying to get all of the Creighton students here together in community.” 

Freshmen and sophomores, on the other hand, are required to live on campus. In August, Magis will add approximately 400 beds to campus for sophomores, mostly in four-person units with two students to a bedroom, and additional resident advisor rooms and a room that a Jesuit will live in.  

Stafford is confident Magis will bring a unique charm to Creighton housing, especially with the Aviary, an earthy space designed for students to unplug. It’ll be accessible to all students, not just Magis residents. 

“I’m really excited to see how our students use the Aviary,” Stafford said. “I have high hopes that it can be a space where students can sort of get away from fluorescent lights and that business feel of the institution and have sort of a retro, nostalgic feel. And hopefully [it will be a place to] get away from our devices and get connected with each other.”  

Stafford also praised the new hall’s “fresh, modern” finishes, especially the LVT flooring, countertops and tile backsplash.  

The university currently has a 10-year plan for renovating campus buildings, and the main housing focus is currently McGloin, a freshman residence hall, Stafford said. Since last year, they’ve been replacing the hall’s fan coil units. Beginning over the summer, its in-unit restrooms will be updated. Over the next decade, it’ll see new furniture, new flooring and other renovations. 

There are no current plans set in place for another new residence hall. 

Stafford wants students to know that their opinions matter, and he wants to be accessible to hear them. He may implement a version of office hours, where students can schedule times to meet with him. 

“I just want students to know that although we may make decisions that frustrate them, we are trying to make decisions that demonstrate our care for our students, and we do want, as much as possible, to work together to try and build an understanding between all the different priorities we’re trying to navigate,” Stafford said. “So, I think we need to build ways to let students feel that opportunity to weigh in, to share feedback, to understand that they’re being heard.”