Photo taken by Nicolette Tolitano
The opening of Carmichael completes the family of residential colleges in the West End neighborhood and marks the end of a 12 year long construction period. The transformation of the once dull West End neighborhood is a part of Vanderbilt’s FutureVU project, which “embodies the university’s core values and holistic approach to its mission of teaching, research and service, while prioritizing inclusivity and sustainability” (MyVU News).
In layman’s terms, the university hopes to blend academic and outside life, while keeping students on campus for as long as possible. The motive for the neighborhood’s beautification is two-fold: it attracts upperclassmen to on-campus living, which then makes for a cohesive and alluring brand asset.
“We prioritize housing all students we can accommodate within our on-campus housing inventory. As we expand our housing options, fewer students live off campus.”
Vanderbilt Housing and Residential Experience
When asked about the percentage of students who typically live off campus, Vanderbilt Housing and Residential Experience responded that, “As an institution with a residential requirement for undergraduates, we prioritize housing all students we can accommodate within our on-campus housing inventory. As we expand our housing options, fewer students live off campus. During construction periods when we experience a temporary reduction in available beds, more students may live off campus. For the current academic year, we have just under 800 students residing off campus which makes up just over 11% of the undergraduate population here taking classes at Vanderbilt this fall.”
Vanderbilt’s on-campus living requirement fits perfectly into its brand of close-knit community. In the About section of Vanderbilt’s homepage, the university says, “Vanderbilt’s closely connected park-like campus, set in the heart of the rapidly growing city of Nashville, Tennessee, is representative of the enduring bonds that unite us as one Vanderbilt community.” Posing itself as a campus characterized by intimacy, the university’s prioritization of on-campus living makes sense as a brand reinforcement strategy. By reducing the percentage of off-campus students to just over 11%, the university can fortify its core values with real-time statistics that demonstrate how close-knit the student community truly is.
Not only does data back up Vanderbilt’s successful branding efforts, but so can positive word-of-mouth. As a form of organic marketing, Vanderbilt likely hopes for students who live on campus all four years to become natural advocates for the university. By fostering positive experiences within a bonded community, these students are more likely to share favorable stories about their time at Vanderbilt, reinforcing the university’s strong brand identity. Their genuine endorsements serve as powerful word-of-mouth marketing, helping to attract future students and further build Vanderbilt’s reputation as a prestigious and supportive institution.
The easy access to lifestyle and academic resources allows Vanderbilt students to look back at their time on campus as a seamless, balanced experience.
We might also look at Vanderbilt’s commitment to on-campus living as a way to manage and shape the brand of the student experience exactly the way they want to. Through living-learning communities, Vanderbilt students living in residential halls enjoy dining halls, communal learning spaces, and personal residences all at once. The easy access to lifestyle and academic resources allows Vanderbilt students to look back at their time on campus as a seamless, balanced experience. The last thing the university needs is for a student with a bad off-campus experience or housing insecurity to tarnish the name of the university’s brand. Additionally, living in a city comes with numerous potential challenges, so Vanderbilt’s efforts to minimize opportunities for brand damage are entirely reasonable.
While Vanderbilt’s living policy certainly enhances the student experience and makes for a cohesive brand asset, the university must balance those benefits with student autonomy accordingly. Students might raise concerns about their need to live independently before graduation, and Vanderbilt could incorporate this notion into their branding. As the campus continues to evolve, Vanderbilt should continue to build out its brand of a united, strongly bonded community, while also emphasizing students’ flexibility and liberty in their residential college experience.
