Cape Girardeau, Missouri - For the fall 2015 and spring 2016 academic year, Southeast Missouri State University is closing Cheney Hall, a residence hall on the Southeast campus.

The closing of this building, at the corner of Cheney Drive and North Henderson Street, is necessary to examine and make structural and infrastructure repairs.

Over the past year, the University, working with outside engineering and architect professionals, has been examining the maintenance needs for multiple facilities across the Southeast campus, University officials said. These efforts have provided opportunities for the campus to plan ahead for future repairs to various academic and non-academic facilities. Cheney Hall is one of the buildings the University has previously identified as a building in need of future renovation for its continued use as a residence hall.

Previous plans had called for Cheney Hall to be open for residence hall students during this year, however, recent assessments of the building have demonstrated a need to consider structural repairs in the coming year, according to Angela Meyer, director of Facilities Management.

A combination of events over the past year, including recent heavy rains, has resulted in some settling of the building foundation and stair-stepped cracking of the northwest corner of the building.

“In order to fully investigate and determine the cause of the movement, the University has made the decision to begin a full structural analysis which may involve soil borings and/or excavation followed by a structural evaluation by a consultant,” Meyer said. “The goal is to stabilize the structure and ensure that the facility can be brought back on-line for future use.”

The work needed to complete structural and other infrastructure repairs will be very disruptive to the building.

“To provide our students the best on-campus living experience, the campus is closing this building for this coming academic year,” she said.

Cheney Hall has been a landmark on the Southeast campus for more than 75 years. Dr. Kendra Skinner, director of the Office of Residence Life, noted, “Students enjoy the on-campus living experience, and Cheney Hall has been part of this experience for more than half a century. While we wish we could have the building open for the coming year, we need to take action now to repair the building and to find the impacted students other places on campus to live this year.”

During this closure, 85 students who were planning to reside in Cheney Hall are being provided other residence hall spaces on the Southeast campus for the academic year. Students who were planning to live in Cheney Hall will be provided alternate campus housing at the same room rate in other residence halls on the Southeast campus, Skinner said. The Office of Residence Life is working with the impacted students to change their room assignments before students return to the Southeast campus on Aug. 20. Additional information for students impacted by this closure is available through the Office of Residence Life at 573.651.2274 or ORL@semo.edu.