UNB News
News and stories from one of Canada’s top universities

Neville-Jones House residence will be closed for the 2010-11 academic year. Neville-Jones is one of two all-male residences at University of New Brunswick's Fredericton campus. Over the past decade, there has been decreased demand for all-male residence accommodation, not just at UNB Fredericton, but also at universities in general, says James Brown, executive director of Residential Life, Campus & Conference Services (RLCCS). "For 2010-11, only 12 students have requested to return to Neville-Jones and we can accommodate them in Aitken House, the other all-male house, or in one of the co-ed houses, at their option," says Brown. RLCCS is being fiscally and environmentally responsible by not operating one more residence than is needed to meet demand, Brown adds. "This will save the university about $80,000 in operating costs." During the closure, Neville-Jones House will undergo repairs. RLCCS plans to have it available to students applying as new or returning residents for September 2011. Brown says the residence community at UNB Fredericton continues to grow as a percentage of undergraduates on the UNB Fredericton campus. For 2009-10, 18 per cent of undergrads at UNB Fredericton were residence students, up from 15 per cent as of 2006. Even though their house is being renovated, Neville-Jones residents continue to plan and organize the annual bed push, which raises thousands of dollars for Women in Transition House each year. "We will be working with Neville-Jones House President John Bailey and other organizers of the bed push to ensure that it remains an important university tradition and continues to support Transition House," says Brown. While having the house closed for a year for renovations is tough, Bailey says he understands the business case and is confident the residence will be returned repaired and ready to continue its proud traditions. "Despite the closure of our house for the year for renovations, we will continue to organize our house charity, the Bed Push, which both Neville and Neville/Jones houses have put on for 17 years and raised close to $200,000 for Women In Transition House," he says. "Unfortunate as the news is, by continuing the Bed Push we continue the most important tradition of the house and after all the house is more than a building on campus it is the people that have called it home, the people they've met, the times they've had and the things they've done," Bailey adds. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch with James Brown, Executive Director Residential Life, and Campus & Conference Service at 458-7293. To learn how to become involved with this year's bed push, please contact John Bailey, President Neville/Jones 2010/11 at t70s5@unb.ca.