Hundreds of University of the Pacific students will move into newly renovating housing for the start of the academic year with the completion of renovations to the Quad community, part of a major project to refurbish residence halls on the Stockton Campus.

The Quads are a group of 10 small residence halls which mostly house first-year students. Renovations to the final three buildings were completed in mid-August at Jessie Ballantyne, Casa Werner and Casa Jackson.

The other seven buildings were renovated during the 2022-23 academic year with all buildings receiving new flooring, lighting, fixtures, paint and renovated restrooms. The buildings each house between 50 and 100 students.

The university’s largest residence building, Grace Covell Hall, underwent a similar renovation prior to the work on the Quads. 

Renovations to both living communities included:

• 11 buildings (Carter House, Casa Jackson, Casa Werner, Eiselen House, Farley House, Jessie Ballantyne, John Ballantyne, Price House, Ritter House, Wymess House and Grace Covell Hall)
• 525 rooms renovated
• 1,050 new beds, dressers, desks and chairs installed

Furniture from the three buildings renovated over the summer was donated to area nonprofits, including Loves Treasury, St. Mary's, Hope Chest and Coalition of Tracy to benefit the community and divert it from landfills. The City of Manteca received a similar donation in 2022 when John Ballantyne was renovated.

The renovations are part of a comprehensive overhaul of residential life at Pacific, which has led to a renewed vibrancy on campus. Resident assistants coordinate monthly social activities and encourage students to get involved in clubs and attend athletic events.

“We have redeveloped the Residential Life program to make sure that students are as engaged as they possibly can be,” said Assistant Vice President for Student Life Josh O’Connor. “The resident assistants’ primary concern is safety and security and their second is building community.

“As we come out of COVID and our student body is a younger group of the COVID-impacted students, it's helping them reintegrate into large populations and interact with each other,” O’Connor said.

Last year, Resident Assistant Devin Thompson ’25 held everything from a plushie-making party on Valentine’s Day to goat yoga on Knoles Lawn, partnering with a local company to bring the goats to campus.

“It's mainly to get students engaged and provide a fun thing to do outside of academics, especially in the first-year communities,” Thompson said. “When they move in, the campus is very new to them and they’re learning how their classes work and the resources on campus, so having those socials to bring the whole building together makes it an easy way to hang out with friends. It’s good for building rapport and making them feel more comfortable.”

Pacific also recently began offering a four-year housing guarantee for first-year students and a two-year guarantee for those who transfer to Pacific, which has led to more students choosing to remain on-campus.

The upcoming academic year will have the largest group of returning students living on-campus—1,300 compared to 900 the previous year.

“There is a tremendous benefit to living on campus, and our students see that,” said Vice President for Student Life Maria Blandizzi. “Research shows that students who live on campus have higher GPAs and do better in their classes. Students can more easily access resources, and they also feel more connected by living here.”

Plans are now being finalized to renovate Manor Hall, which will provide affordable housing to student veterans and their families. The residence hall will have up to 35 full apartments.

The historic building, one of the first on the Stockton Campus, is located on Pacific Avenue near the newly renovated Military and Veterans Student Center. The former residence hall has been vacant since 2014.

The $5 million renovation project is expected to be complete in January of 2025.