Two of Drexel University’s eight residence halls — Millennium Hall and Caneris Hall — will be offline as housing options for the 2025-2026 academic year, the University recently confirmed to the Triangle.
“Drexel regularly assesses its housing, operational, maintenance and upgrade needs and adjusts the operation of its facilities to meet these priorities,” said Britt Faulstick, executive director of news and media relations. “As part of this ongoing review, the University will be temporarily shifting the operation of Millennium and Caneris Halls, so they will not be residential options for students this year.”
Earlier this summer, Drexel rescinded several Resident Assistant offers for 2025–2026, citing these operational changes. Last year, North Hall was similarly closed for renovations and reopened this summer.
While Drexel has not yet released enrollment statistics for fall 2025, the closures come amid declining student numbers. In fall 2024, Drexel’s freshman enrollment dropped by 15 percent, with 500 fewer students compared to the prior year. The shuttering of two residence halls, one of which primarily houses first-year students, has raised questions among students about whether the decision is tied to lower demand for housing.
Millennium Hall, Drexel’s tallest residence hall with 17 floors, opened in 2009. It houses primarily first-year students and is home to several of the University’s Living Learning Communities for various academic majors and student groups. The building features a sky lounge on the top floor and offers a mix of double and single rooms.
Caneris Hall, initially named East Hall before being renamed after Anthony T. Caneris, former Senior Vice President for Student Life and Administrative Services, accommodates both first-year and upperclass students. The seven-story building offers four- and six-person suites.
Students living in these halls expressed frustration at the nonexistent notice about their closure.
“It’s fine, I live at the very end of the hallway and the lack of [a] kitchen over the past two years has gotten to me and is frustrating,” said junior graphic design major Connor Erezuma, who currently lives in Caneris, about his experience there. “The staff is good with quick repairs, and the people working there are all friendly.”
But when informed of the building’s upcoming closure, Erezuma was caught off guard. “The complete lack of notice is bonkers and as a current resident who depended on Caneris for this upcoming school year, it’s insane that they haven’t announced this to us because I do not want to live in a freshman dorm as a senior,” he lamented.
Erezuma suspects the decision may be part of a maintenance or renovation cycle. “I think they’re just gonna do general updates, they did it for North Hall last year where they closed it for a year to update the whole building. So I don’t think they’re fallen soldiers, but like good god, give us some warning maybe.”
Sophomore biomedical engineering student Sonya Kalianda, who lived in Millennium Hall during her freshman year, described the building as a defining part of her first-year experience.
“Yeah, the dorms were tiny, but Millennium was where I made some of my closest friends,” Kalianda said. “I don’t think I would’ve felt as at home at Drexel without the community.”
She added that the closure could affect incoming students’ ability to find their own sense of community. “It’s honestly disappointing. I know buildings need updates, but Millennium was one of the best options for first-years because of the LLCs and the social spaces. Now incoming freshmen won’t get that experience.”
Kalianda also expressed frustration at the lack of announcement. “Drexel should be more upfront with students about big changes like this. Even if it’s temporary, it feels like they aren’t thinking about how much this impacts the students who were planning around these housing options.”
With Millennium and Caneris offline, Drexel will operate six residence halls for the 2025–2026 academic year. The University has yet to release public details about the closures.