Ivan Panov and Nhat Linh Dang, Special to The Denisonian & Asst. News Editor–
This year, the HILL Space, which stands for Higley Innovation & Leadership Lounge, moved to the first floor of Higley Hall from its previous location on the first floor of Huffman Hall.
HILL is a dedicated space for more than 150 student organizations on Denison’s campus.
On Nov. 11, the Denison Campus Governance Association (DCGA) hosted an open house in Burton Morgan to celebrate the space’s move. The recent changes in location and space management at HILL Space were attributed to a “domino effect” following the relocation of first-year students to East Quad.
Dana Pursley, director of Community Leadership and Involvement, said that the previous HILL space in Huffman had actually been the location to many offices including the Office of Community Values and Student Conduct and before that, the Office of Residential Life and Communities.
“Despite [clubs] making posters, the HILL was a bit underutilized, and I think because of its location. Not many student leaders would always go over to HILL Space when it was in Huffman,” Pursley said.
The HILL space in Higley is not permanent, however. “The current space that they have in Higley is temporary. I’m currently working with Dr. Hall and some other folks at Denison to figure out where more permanent space for the HILL to be,” Pursley said.
HILL Space was designed to provide a shared area for all student organizations, allowing over 700 student leaders across 180 groups to meet and collaborate.
“The thought was to try to create a coworking space where student leaders could come together, meet, and generate ideas,” Pursley said.
Pursley noted that while the space hasn’t been used as much as hoped, “I think we could do a better job of helping students know that it’s there, how to use it, what it can be used for,” and emphasized ongoing plans to boost awareness and engagement.
The move aimed to make resources more accessible for student organizations. “If students needed to create a poster for a project or hold a vote on changes to their constitution, we wanted the space to be quick, accessible, and easy to use,” Pursley said. The same approach continues in Higley, where students can access the space as long as they are listed as officers of their organization.
The relocation of HILL Space reflects efforts to make student resources more accessible and usable. Its new, centralized spot in Higley aims to encourage greater engagement from student leaders across campus.