After almost two years of chatter surrounding Villanova’s acquisition of Cabrini University, Villanova administrators and members of the Student Government Association teamed up to host a community town hall on what this will mean for students. The Dec. 2 Q&A panel, in which Kathy Byrnes, VP of Student Life, and Skylor Morton, Director of Housing Operations, responded to pre-submitted questions from undergraduates, was designed particularly with the class of 2029 in mind.
According to recent numbers from the Office of Student Life, about half of the 1700-student class will live in one of Cabrini’s residential halls, with the other half remaining on the Villanova campus in the traditional sophomore dorms on Main Campus. Throughout the town hall, this was presented as an exciting opportunity for rising sophomores to access newly-renovated dorms on a new campus, complete with its own dining halls and other resources like the Dixon Fitness Center. However, the consensus among many freshmen who may end up living on Cabrini next year has not necessarily been as positive.
Freshman business student Joaquin Costa-Pacheco, who lives on South Campus, along with most freshmen, expressed disappointment about his grade’s housing arrangement becoming even more disjointed.
“We already see a split between the freshmen who live on South and those who live on Main Campus,” he said. “Having us live on two different campuses next year will only make it harder to feel a sense of community with people from different dorms.”
After all, many undergraduates cite Villanova’s walkable campus, which takes fewer than 30 minutes to get from one side to the other, as a consideration for them when applying to colleges. Whereas many universities require shuttles or long walks to get around, Villanova’s academic and residential buildings are conveniently placed within a manageable distance from one another. The addition of Cabrini risks chipping away at this identity. However, with the addition of a new campus that houses such a large portion of the student body, Villanova may lose this unique appeal and in turn, its culture of unity and familiarity. As such, Cabrini may end up serving as a source of division if the proper measures are not taken to fully integrate the campus and its residents into the welcoming culture that all students deserve to experience.
A major point of contention among students is the fact that Sophomore Living-Learning Communities, which typically are sought after to guarantee housing in Alumni Hall or the Commons, will be housed on the Cabrini Campus starting next year. The sophomore honors dorm, which typically provides students with suites in the Commons, will also be moved to a complex on Cabrini in the fall. These options were a once way to ensure a spot in a specific dorm before the traditional housing lottery, and to continue to foster a sense of community after leaving one’s freshman dorm. Now, though, many students who would have otherwise looked into these options believe their drawbacks outweigh their benefits. Once again, Villanova takes a risk with this addition and makes the communities students seek for connection less accessible.
“As an honors student, I came to Villanova expecting to live in the Commons as a sophomore,” Costa-Pacheco said. “Now that the sophomore dorms are over on Cabrini, I may end up opting out of honors housing.”
Kathy Byrnes, VP of Student Life,, shared, “The Cabrini Campus offers Villanova the opportunity to grow both in the number of students we can welcome to campus as well as increase our facilities and academic departments to meet the interests and needs of students in and out of the classroom. Cabrini gives us not only additional classroom and lab spaces, it also gives us additional residential settings, dining options, and amazing recreational spaces available to the entire Villanova community. The opening of the Cabrini Campus marks a moment in Villanova’s history that those of us here, now, are privileged to be a part of as we embrace this new and exciting endeavor that will enhance the Villanova experience.”
Due to an increase in applications, Byrnes explained that Villanova has had to turn down qualified applicants because of limits on housing in recent years. As such, despite the uncertainty, this addition will free up space in the long run, ensuring more spots for upperclassmen. This will especially aid in the senior housing process and make sure that more students in the classes of ‘28, ‘29 and beyond will get to live on campus for four years–a legitimate benefit for those impacted. However, Villanova’s administration must continue to take steps to make sure this doesn’t come at the cost of the community-oriented culture that has defined the University for so long.
