Scholarship Halls

The Scholarship Hall system at the University of Kansas is a unique living environment with rich traditions. Within the "schol hall" system there are six men's halls and six women's halls. Each hall houses around 50 students and shares a Scholarship Hall Director (SHD) with one other hall. The SHD is a graduate student who lives in the hall, makes sure everything runs smoothly and acts as a liaison between the halls and the Department of Student Housing.

Residents selected to live in the 12 scholarship halls pay thousands less each year than their residence hall counterparts. In these small cooperative houses, residents complete 4-6 hours of household tasks each week. The schol halls are also self-governing; involvement is a strong tradition in the schol halls.

Battenfeld History

Battenfeld is the oldest men's scholarship hall. With the gift of $70,000, the hall was built as a unique memorial to John Curry Battenfeld, a University student who died in an automobile accident. Since 1940, Battenfeld has opened its doors to countless numbers of ambitious young men. In one way or another, each man who leaves the halls of Battenfeld has fulfilled the personal philosophy of Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Battenfeld, who believed a person should live his life so that the world in which he lives is made better by his having lived.

Battenfeld Life and Traditions

Battenfeld has a tradition of excellence. Famous former residents include Dean Smith and Hal Sandy, who drew the smiling Jayhawk. The residents are talented in a great variety of fields.

During the year, Battenfeld holds two large social events. On night during the fall semester, we hold our annual Casino Night. Every year the event has a different theme. Recent themes include: video games and Luau. All of the other halls attend this event. During the spring semester, we hold the month long Battenfeld Manliest Manly Man contest. During this month the residents compete in various challenges that include beard growing, arm-wrestling and the grueling Chipotle Run. The final day of the contest is Father-Son day where we cook out and announce the Manliest Manly Man.

The residents of Battenfeld are traditionaly very competitive and compete in many different intramurual sports. Whether it be soccer, flag-football or basketball, you will find the B-Felders giving their all.