Troy University will open this fall an $11.8 million student housing complex designed specifically for students seeking a faith-based collegiate experience.



University officials say the 376-bed facility is the result of national and internal survey data that showed faith was significantly more important to Troy students than students at other public universities.



"Our mission is certainly to help students earn a degree," said John Schmidt, senior vice chancellor for advancement and external relations.



"But we also believe that it is equally important to assist students in building a value-based life."



The new facility gives preference to students who maintain an active spiritual lifestyle and are actively engaged in a campus faith-based organization.



Residents are required to engage at least semi-annually in a community-service or service-learning project that is tied to a church, such as food or clothing drive.



They must also refrain from using illegal drugs or alcohol while in the facility -- a rule that applies to all Troy dormitories -- and maintain a minimum 2.5 grade point average.



Schmidt said university officials hope the facility will attract students who would not otherwise consider a public university instead of a private faith-based school. It will also better serve the school's existing students, he said.



The new housing facility is non-denominational, requiring residents to "be respectful of diversity," but it will feature a 2,300-square-foot Newman Center leased and operated by the Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile.



Newman Centers are Catholic ministries on non-Catholic universities. Troy's will include a common area for meetings, a facility for a priest and a chapel.



"The whole idea behind the Newman Center is to help student live their faith, facilitate community service and build and foster interfaith discussions," Schmidt said.



The residence facility will also host three Catholic and three Baptist resident advisers.



While Troy is known as Alabama's international university for its high population of international students -- many of whom follow non-Christian faiths -- the new housing facility will give preference to Christian students.



Schmidt said students of non-Christian faiths will not be excluded "if there was space available" and that university officials have discussed the prospect of catering more to non-Christians.

"This year, as we go forward, it should be interesting to see what kind of demand and interest there is" he said. "But we certainly want to embrace that kind of dialogue in these interfaith discussions."

However, a university spokesman said July 30 the university will not give preference to Christians over non-Christians.



As of Monday, there were only four or five vacancies remaining to be filled in the housing facility, he said.



The five-acre property is leased from the university by Troy's foundation, a private, non-profit entity, which paid for the two buildings that comprise the housing facility, using funds from a local bank.



That avoids legal conflicts between religion and the public dollars that Troy uses for operational expenses. Troy's foundational money is comprised of private donations, not tax dollars.



The new facility is located near Troy's Baptist Campus Ministry as well as Church of Christ, Presbyterian and Methodist campus facilities.



"The kids kind of began to refer to this as church row," Schmidt said.

