Housing and Dining Programs announced on Monday sweeping changes to how on-campus housing will be allocated, starting with the fall 2010 semester.
In an e-mail to resident students, Executive Director of Housing and Dining Programs Chris Moody said his department expects a deficit of 200 beds for the fall semester.
“AU is retaining continuing students and enrolling first year and transfer students with greater success than ever before,” he wrote. “We are also retaining more students in the residence halls as a result of their satisfaction with the experience. However, the university’s current housing inventory is not sufficient to keep pace with this rapidly increasing demand.”
As new space is added, some existing double rooms will be converted to single rooms to address a “growing need” for private rooms, according to the e-mail.
The first of the new spaces, Roper Hall, is set to open this August, and will house freshman in University College sections. Clark Hall will follow two months later, and will be used to de-triple freshmen, according to the e-mail. Both buildings, located behind Letts Hall, are currently used as offices for College of Arts and Sciences and School of International Service faculty.
Additionally, students who have completed four semesters in campus housing will no longer be guaranteed space on campus. Instead, they will compete for 400 spots in the AU block of housing at the Berkshire Apartments, Nebraska Hall, Centennial Hall and the newly created single rooms. Details of the new lottery system were still being worked out, though the e-mail said that Nebraska Hall suites would now be leased for 11 ½ months, with students desiring that option given priority in the lottery.
Check back for more details as this story develops.
You can reach this staff writer at eklapper@theeagleonline.com.
