Friday, December 12, 2025
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Board of Regents approves public-private partner, ‘retirement’ of SLF
WKU President Timothy Caboni discusses the proposed partnership with real estate developer Gilbane to transform WKU’s student housing to a private-ownership model with the Board of Regents in the Cornelius A Martin Regents Room in Jody Richards Hall on Thursday, Dec 11, 2025 The Board of Regents voted to approve the partnership unanimously (Von Smith)
The WKU Board of Regents approved the university’s new public-private dorm partner on Thursday, and a plan that would give the university power to set how much students pay for dorms for the first time since 1999.
WKU approved a $5.8 million pre-development agreement with Gilbane, a Rhode Island-based international real estate company, to operate and manage, as well as construct and renovate the university’s current and future dorms. The cost of pre-development will be initially covered by Gilbane and then reimbursed through the project’s financing.
Gilbane will bring with it the Collegiate Housing Foundation, a national non-profit that will “sit in a very similar seat” as the Student Life Foundation, said Julian Sagastume, a senior analyst for consulting firm Brailsford & Dunlavey. The SLF was created by former WKU President Gary Ransdell in 1999 to take on construction and renovation debt as well as ensure money generated by housing was spent on housing. The Collegiate Housing Foundation would own WKU’s dorms over the 40-year deal, after which ownership would transfer to WKU.
Read more by Jake McMahon and Anthony Clauson
WKU history’
The Faculty Senate learned about the benefits and concerns surrounding WKU’s public-private dorm partnership Thursday afternoon.
Faculty Regent Shane Spiller, management professor, said the Board of Regents Executive Committee approved a pre-development housing agreement Thursday morning with Gilbane, an international real-estate firm based in Rhode Island. The private company would manage WKU’s current and future dorms.
Spiller said this is not a final agreement, but instead an “agreement to work on an agreement.” It’s a preliminary agreement, meaning WKU can pull out of the agreement with a cost penalty of $5.8 million.
Read more by Abigail Vickers
The College Heights Herald is the independent, student-run news organization operating on the campus of Western Kentucky University, emphasizing accuracy and truth while being a public forum for the fair display of diverse opinions and viewpoints The Herald works to be steadfast and unwavering in its pursuit of truth while being true to the tenets of the WKU Student Publications mission to grow exceptional journalists and innovative leaders through real-world experiences and a strong educational and ethical foundation centered on principled journalism All creative and editorial decisions are made by the Herald’s student leadership, and all consequences of those decisions are the sole responsibility of these student leaders While editorially and operationally independent from the university, the Herald participates in the mission of WKU to prepare students of all backgrounds to be productive, engaged and socially responsible citizen-leaders of a global society, both within and outside of its newsroom Views expressed are diverse and, as an independent publication, should not be taken as representative of views of WKU and any of its administration, faculty, staff, student body or other constituency
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WKU faculty senate members listen and discuss committee reports during the faculty senate meeting in the DSU Senate Chambers on Dec 11, 2025 (Libby Simpson)