ACU Freshman Move-in: Newly renovated dorm, record number of students

ABILENE, Texas ( KTAB/KRBC ) – Many K-12 schools have already begun their academic year, and it’s now time for universities to start. Upperclassmen at Abilene Christian University spent Tuesday volunteering to help freshmen move in. They unloaded and unpacked cars into the dormitories, including the newly renovated Mabee Hall. The renovations were made possible thanks to a donation from the Mabee Foundation. ACU President Dr. Phil Schubert expressed his excitement about welcoming and moving in the students.

“They [the Mabee Foundation] have been a partner of Abilene Christian University from their inception. They just celebrated 75 years last year and made a landmark gift to help us turn what was formerly Sike’s dorm into the new Mabee dorm. Always exciting, the energy they bring. The focus of a new year is the opportunities that come with it. It’s always a great time. They’re excited, and we’re excited to see them,” added Dr. Schubert.

Part of the renovation is to create more common areas for students, which will encourage community involvement and accommodate the increasing number of students.

“Extension to the facility but then completely re-done on the inside. New paint, carpet tiles, and pretty much everything else are redone, including HVAC, electrical, etc., so it’s a pretty comprehensive remodel. Some of our older residence halls have rooms, but they don’t have a lot of community space for students to gather in the evenings or the weekends and just be together and be in spaces that aren’t actually their rooms. That’s the growing trend, to ensure our res halls have inviting spaces that bring students out of their rooms. So, they can take this journey of education alongside each other,” explained Dr. Schubert.

While the numbers aren’t official yet, this year’s freshman class is larger than last year’s. The 2023-2024 numbers were 1,021 freshmen and 6,219 students overall.

“This year’s class is going to be bigger than last year’s, so I’m glad we have the new residence hall. I feel pretty confident in telling you we’ll hit another 7th consecutive all-time enrollment record at ACU this fall, so we had six of those in a row each year, and this one will definitely be a 7th,” added Dr. Phil Schubert.

From Tuesday, August 20, until Saturday, August 24, ACU will host Wildcat Week to help students adjust to the university and teach them what it means to be a Wildcat.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com.