St. Joseph’s University, home to the Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support, is planning to open a residence hall specifically for students on the spectrum, writes Susan Snyder for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

This will make St. Joseph’s one of the first traditional college campuses nationwide to offer such an option to its students.

Saint Albert’s Hall on the Lower Merion side of the campus will undergo renovations costing up to $250,000 this summer. The three-story building has a capacity for 17 students and one student advisor. It once served as a women’s residence but was turned into COVID-19 housing during the pandemic.

“We came to the realization that the residence hall was a spot where a lot of our folks were struggling,” said Angus Murray, Kinney’s executive director. “Academically, they’re usually able to make the cut and succeed, but because of their social skills, they struggle in the residence halls.”

As a solution, “we thought it might be helpful to have what we’re referring to as a longer runway as they transition from high school to college,” he added.

Read more about St. Joseph’s University and the upcoming new residence hall for students with autism in The Philadelphia Inquirer.