Fewer freshmen will have to experience temporary triple rooms in the residence halls this year, said Chris Moody, executive director of Housing and Dining Programs.
Currently, there are 230 temporary triples, 40 below this year's projected target, he said. Last year, there were 330 such triples.
The reduced numbers can be attributed to a new housing lottery system for upperclassmen and the opening of Roper Hall as a residence hall with 57 beds, Moody said. Clark Hall will open Sept. 1, with an additional 57 beds that will be used solely for further de-tripling.
Moody also said that many students took advantage of Housing and Dining's resources to help them find off-campus housing, which includes an off-campus housing coordinator position.
Because there was less of a housing crunch this year, Moody was able to guarantee housing to transfer students with under 36 credits. He also was able to accommodate all transfers with more than 36 credits who requested housing.
“We've been on a steady drumbeat to reduce triples and to rightsize the rooms and to provide campus housing to the students who are most in need of the resources and support that come from living on campus,” Moody said.
AU's housing inventory includes a bulk lease of 200 beds in the Berkshire Apartments on Massachusetts Avenue, Moody said. This continues a program from last year.
Anderson renovations complete
Renovations to Anderson Hall were completed this summer, after the north side of the building received improvements such as new flooring, upholstery and paint. The residence hall, AU's largest, was renovated over two summers due to its size.
Last summer, the south side of the building was renovated. With the completion of the north side renovations, the project is completed.
Tentatively, McDowell Hall is slated for renovations next summer, though Moody said that is subject to change. Letts Hall would get an overhaul in the summer of 2012 under the current plan.
New dining options
Changes are coming to the Marketplace area of Mary Graydon Center's first floor, which will open for the school year on Aug. 23.
Gone is the salad counter Field of Greens, which was only selling 130 salads per day, mostly to faculty and staff, Moody said. A sushi counter will replace it.
“Sushi sells like wildfire,” he said.
Students responded positively to the initial availability of sushi on campus at the Eagle's Nest and Eagle Express last year, Moody said.
A more full-service sandwich offering will also replace Panini Express, though the three most popular paninis will still be available at the new counter, he said.
New message monitors
Widescreen monitors to display messaging replaced the whiteboards behind the front desks of all AU residence halls except Nebraska Hall, Moody said.
While the monitors are new and have not been widely used yet, Moody plans to use them for a wide range of messaging, including advertising and emergency messages.
The cost of the system was split between the Office of Information Technology, which covered software and related infrastructure, and Housing and Dining, which covered the actual monitors and their mounting hardware.
Since Nebraska does not have a front desk that is staffed around the clock, Housing and Dining is investigating how to install a monitor in a location visible at all hours but in a way that prevents vandalism and theft. Similar monitors have been stolen in the past, particularly around Mary Graydon Center and Butler Pavilion, The Eagle previously reported.
eklapper@theeagleonline.com
