On-campus living is an essential part of the college experience for many Meredith students. With four residence halls original to the campus, it’s no surprise that some of the buildings are showing their age. What is less clear is the best path for improving conditions and having the most transformative impact on the residential experience for students.
To help clarify that path, Meredith leaders are working with an architectural planning firm, Carnegie/Credo Design Architects, to develop a residence life experience plan, which is a comprehensive, multiphase framework that will shape the future of campus living.
The project kick-off was held on Thursday, February 5, 2026, with members of Meredith’s project leadership team, led by President Aimee Sapp. The project leadership team also includes:
President Sapp said she started laying the groundwork for an effort to guide residence hall renovations soon after she arrived 19 months ago.
“Through some extensive early listening to students when I first arrived, I realized pretty quickly that Meredith had some substantial facility needs, particularly in the residence halls,” Sapp said.
Sapp said the need for residence hall improvements also emerged during last fall’s student listening sessions, held as part of the strategic planning process. Based on her experience with similar projects, she knew Meredith needed a partner to professionally assess the infrastructure and provide a framework for improvements.
“To have the greatest impact and support our mission, we have to approach projects like this in a really strategic way, and having the right partner is critical,” she said. “The Credo team is the right partner because of their well-defined process and their commitment to understanding our mission and who we are as a community.”
The Credo Design Architects team, led by Dawn Rolling, Director of Design/Architect, will be on campus in mid-April and over the summer to facilitate a series of workshops, including Dream and Discover sessions with students and other campus stakeholders. The full plan will be available next fall.
“We are excited to partner with Meredith College to weave its unique vision and mission into a residence life plan that goes far beyond simply renovation,” Rolling said. “Our goal is to create a holistic, intentional environment where the College’s mission is felt in every space, seamlessly connecting daily life for students with academic success and the stronger sense of community.”
McElroy said this project is exciting for both students and residence life staff who have been working alongside facilities to navigate the challenges present in the current halls.
“The residence halls are the heart of student life and the student experience, and I’m so grateful that leadership recognizes that and is prioritizing this renovation in the strategic plan,” McElroy said.
While the residence hall plan is long-term, the planning team recognizes that some issues require immediate attention. Credo Design Architects will provide strategic guidance on how to make improvements with the greatest impact on living conditions in the short term, while the facilities team continues working to provide a high level of service. From September 2025 through February 20, 2026, facilities staff have resolved 96% of the service requests it has received.
Members of the project leadership team can already envision some of the outcomes of having and implementing a long-term plan.
Russell Roxburgh, director of facilities services, says one outcome will be “improved reliability of systems and resident satisfaction.”
Jean Jackson, ’75, vice president for college programs, who oversees residence life and lived in three residence halls as a Meredith student, said the outcome she most hopes for is “the residence halls to be dazzling to 21st-century students.”
Melyssa Allen – News Director
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(919) 760-8087 | Fax: (919) 760-8330 | allenme@meredith.edu