University Hall, Kennesaw State University

University Hall is a two story building with over 21,000 square feet. It is located on the west side of the Kennesaw State University campus, being a part of the old campus. University Hall was built in 1967 as the original Social Sciences Building, and was one of the original eight buildings of Kennesaw Junior College. The construction of the building was completed on February 1, 1967, nearly a month after the college began its first quarter on January 9, 1967. University Hall now focuses on providing resources for first-year and transfer students. University Hall also houses Diversity & Inclusion, Advertising Services, Strategic Planning, Assessment, and Analysis, the SMART Center, and the ESL Center.

University Hall, formerly the Social Sciences Building, was finished on February 1, 1967. The current University Hall building was one of the original eight buildings of the Kennesaw State University Campus, then known as Kennesaw Junior College. The building was the sixth building to be completed, the first three being the Science Building (currently the Math and Statistics building), the Humanities Building (now known as Willingham Hall), and the Student Services Building (currently the Technology Annex, followed four days later by the Administration Building (currently the Public Safety Building). The Maintenance Services Building (currently the Music Building) was completed on January 18, 1967. Finally, the current University Hall building, and the former Social Sciences building, was completed on February 1, 1967. The completion of University Hall was followed by the completion of the old library (now the Pilcher Public Service Building) on March 16, 1967, and the Physical Education Building on June 10, 1967.

University Hall originally served as the Social Sciences building, and even housed some physical education classes during the first two quarters of Kennesaw Junior College prior to the completion of the Physical Education Building. The original state of the Kennesaw State University campus remained unchanged, other than the addition of the Student Center in 1973, while Kennesaw State University was known as Kennesaw Junior College. The students and faculty of Kennesaw Junior College desired to make KJC a senior college very early on. This desire became a realty when Kennesaw Junior College was granted the status of a senior college in 1976, and changed its name to Kennesaw College in 1977.

The campus of Kennesaw College saw relatively little growth for about a decade. However, Kennesaw College continued to grow, and was renamed Kennesaw State College in 1988. In 1996, Kennesaw State College gained University status and was renamed Kennesaw State University. KSU saw an much growth in the 1990s and early 2000s, especially after Kennesaw State College was renamed Kennesaw State University in 1996. One of the buildings added after the College gained University status was the current Social Sciences building which replaced the previous one formerly located at University Hall in 2006. University Hall, or University College as it was previously known, replaced the former Social Sciences Building, and became focused on first-year students and transfer students, and housed other campus resources such as Diversity & Inclusion, Advertising Services, Strategic Planning, Assessment, and Analysis, the SMART Center, and the ESL Center. The University Hall building houses the KSU Seminar course, which is a course that is designed for students new to KSU, whether they are new to college life in general, or just a transfer student from another school. This class teaches students how to be successful in college, and introduces students to KSU and its facilities to help them be comfortable and successful at KSU.

University Hall is not dedicated to anyone, but, on a display located inside the building, it recognizes Dr. Nancy S. King and Dr. Bowman O. Davis, Jr. "for their visionary guidance, exceptional leadership and tireless dedication in creating KSU's First-Year Seminar (KC 101), the foundation for today's nationally recognized initiatives for first-year students. By taking the first steps in 1983, they ensured a legacy of student success that marks the path of University College today and in the future. October 2014".

Kennesaw Interactive Campus Map, Accessed April 18th, 2023. https://maps.kennesaw.edu/.

Scott, Thomas Allan. Kennesaw State University: The First Fifty Years, 1963 –2013. Kennesaw State University Press, 2013.

Scott, Thomas Allan. HISTORY OF KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY, https://archives.kennesaw.edu/. Accessed May 1st, 2023. https://archives.kennesaw.edu/ksuhistory.pdf.