Throughout the Fall 2022 semester, Kennesaw State has expanded to accommodate a growing number of incoming students in a successful term of the academic year,
KSU welcomed 43,000 students to campus this fall, 7,507 of those being freshmen. This showed a 4.4% increase from last year. 37.8% of students this year were first-generation students and 51% received the Hope or Zell scholarship.
With the increase in students, an increase in on-campus housing was also necessary. The Summit, a residence hall for first-year students, opened its doors on Aug. 15 after move-in week. The addition of this building brought the total number of students living on campus to around 6,000. The Summit is a five-story dormitory with around 100 rooms per floor.
“At Kennesaw State, we recognize the importance that building a community has on student success,” President Schwaig said at the opening ceremony of the building in August.
On-campus food options were also a point of growth this semester. Three new options were added across both campuses. A Cinnabon was added to the Academic Learning Center and a McAlister’s was added to the Burruss Building on the Kennesaw Campus. A Dunkin’ Donuts was added to the first floor of the Marietta Campus Student Center.
Construction of a Jamba on the Kennesaw campus is also underway. According to KSU, the location is expected to open in Spring 2023.
The Commons had its fair share of recognition this fall too, ranking No. 13 on Niche’s 2023 best college foods in America. Niche rates college food based on student surveys and cost, leading KSU to gain an A+ on their site.
Student involvement also hit a high this year with the announcement of KSU joining Conference USA in 2024.
“It is an exciting time for Kennesaw State, and this is an opportunity to continue the upward trajectory of the athletic programs and academic mission of KSU,” President Kathy Schwaig said in a KSU news release. “This step was not one taken lightly, but with thoughtful review and analysis of the benefits to elevated competition for our student athletes, the expanded opportunities for research and academic engagement, and the advancement of a unique and exciting student experience at KSU.”
Academic resources for students were also expanded by the Marietta campus opening a new writing center. The center offered more than 40 writing workshops over the semester and works to create confident writers.
KSU has not made any announcements on plans to expand on-campus parking in upcoming semesters. However, Atlanta News First reported that KSU received $2 million in funds from Cobb County to create safer and more traffic-efficient roadways near campus. Kennesaw State Drive and Owl Drive are part of the three intersections that this fund will focus on. There have been no updates from the university on when road work will begin.
