Cain Petty
Reporter
It is no secret that Mississippi University for Women is full of rich history, but with that history comes the aging of the buildings across campus.
Dorms across campus house hundreds of students every semester, but over time the buildings have been in desperate need of renovations.
Jones Hall is one of these buildings craving attention. A landmark building overlooking the greenspace on the south campus, Jones Hall is set for a $7.1 million renovation starting later this year.
Andrew Moneymaker, office of housing and residence life director, said these renovations include each room being equipped with a HVAC unit and updating the bathrooms with new fixtures, lights and paint. There are also plans to make Jones Hall’s bathrooms more accessible.
“We are pretty much gutting the whole bathroom,” Moneymaker said. “The doors are going to be made wider in the bathrooms to bring them up to ADA code.”
The south campus building will also be getting exterior renovations to assist in the beautification of The W’s campus.
Residents of Jones Hall are excited for these upgrades and changes, especially since it has been an exhausting semester in the dorms.
Out of date bathrooms, non-working fire alarms and restless nights of sleep because of fire watches are more than enough to spark excitement for change.
Katherine Dunstan, a resident of Jones Hall, has concerns with the reliability of the dorms and the building in general, especially the untrustworthy, sometimes questionable elevators.
“The elevators always shake or thud at least once, and it gets scary to ride them at times because of that,” Dunstan said.
Jones Hall was first constructed in 1964, and it has not had a big set of renovations like the ones proposed in February. The building itself is a landmark building, so some historical elements must stay.
The renovations must get through some red tape before beginning and during the process. In line with the landmark status, any changes to the building have to be under the Mississippi Department of Archives and History’s guidance.
However, any updated change is a good updated change. So, the planned updates and renovations should help put students at ease and make them hopeful for a new look in Jones Hall.
Laura MacLellan, an RA at Jones, is one who is excited about the renovations. She knows first hand how needed these upgrades are, and hearing thoughts or concerns from residents multiplies the need.
“Honestly, because I’ve lived in Jones now for two years, I know how much renovation it needs,” MacLellan said. “So, I’m really glad that they are taking the initiative even though it is going to be hard being without a resident hall.”
The W anticipates the newly-renovated Jones Hall to be open in 2026’s spring semester.