At Vanderbilt, Residential Colleges bring our core values to life, transforming them into meaningful, lived experiences that shape our students’ daily lives. More than a beautiful place to sleep, these vibrant communities enrich every moment outside the classroom, making them as impactful as the hours within it. Here, students develop a shared sense of belonging and identity, uniting through lifelong friendships, new experiences and expanded perspectives.
Our vision for Residential Colleges is more than 15 years in the making—a bold dream that began with the opening of The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons in 2008. By successfully revolutionizing the first-year experience, The Ingram Commons set the stage for the West End Neighborhood, where six vibrant upper-division colleges now thrive.
Our ambition doesn’t end there. Through the Central Neighborhood, we will continue to enhance the upper-division residential experience on campus. Your philanthropic support is crucial to achieving this vision.
Vanderbilt will soon begin building the Central Neighborhood’s new residential colleges, demonstrating our ambitious commitment to providing upper-division students with access to this transformative living-learning environment as soon as possible.”
Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA), highlights of the Central Neighborhood will include:
Your contribution can help shape the transformative experiences that come to life through residential colleges by supporting our fundraising efforts. For more information about how you can make a difference for our students, contact Meghan Backes at Meghan.backes@vanderbilt.edu or 615-343-3018.
For donors committing a gift of $250,000 of more, we are pleased to honor your generosity with a named space, leaving a tangible legacy commemorating your impactful investment.
Learn More
To stay informed as Central Neighborhood construction progresses and learn more about how residential colleges fit into Vanderbilt’s campus master plan, visit FutureVU.
To read more about how Vanderbilt’s Residential Colleges shape the student experience, click here or explore the impact stories below.
“I absolutely loved living in residential colleges and I’m going to miss it so much after graduation. Living in West my freshman year is where and how I found my closest friends that I still live with now as a senior! Residential colleges allowed me to meet new people and take part in new experiences with the weekly programming offered!”
—Hananeel Morinville, College of Arts and Science Class of 2025
"I am very excited to get to experience all of on-campus life and to be part of this exciting community on The Ingram Commons."
—Jessica Oster, faculty head of Stambaugh House
Oster is an associate professor of earth and environmental sciences and director of graduate studies. She was named a Chancellor Faculty Fellow in 2022 and has received a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER grant.