The high number of upperclassmen living off campus has University officials talking about creating new and better housing to entice upperclassmen to stay on campus.
Though no specific plans have been prepared, administrators have been "considering seriously" the possibility of building new residence halls for undergraduates and improving older structures to make them more attractive to juniors and seniors, said Russell Carey '91 MA'06, interim vice president for campus life and student services.
"We are not housing enough students on campus," Carey said. "We are a residential university ... and we think we are not providing the on-campus experience to enough of our students."
Currently, the University only houses about 80 percent of undergrads on campus, a proportion lower than its peer institutions, Carey said. "This level is not where we should be institutionally," Carey said. The University would have to increase the number of residence hall beds by 600 to reach its goal of 90 percent on-campus residents, he said.
"As a goal, increasing the amount of on-campus housing has resonated well with students that we have talked with," Carey said.
But students aren't simply concerned about the amount of available housing.
"We are largely planning these dorms with upperclassmen in mind," Carey said. "We know that what upper-class students want - like apartments, singles and suites with common space - we just don't have enough of," he said.
In addition to new buildings, the University is considering upgrades to existing dorms.
"We are looking very hard at the condition and quality of our current residence halls. Students want more housing, but all of those conversations involved a discussion of the quality of existing housing," Carey said.
Such renovations would include physical improvements like modernizing bathrooms, heating and lighting, as well as aesthetic improvements to rooms and common spaces, said Richard Bova, senior associate dean of residential life.
Residential Life staff "frequently visit buildings around campus and hear about problems from the Residential Council on a weekly basis. We know what needs to get fixed, what is ugly and where repeated problem areas are," Bova said. Renewal efforts would concentrate on such trouble spots, he added.
No specific plans for a new dorm or major renovations have been set, Bova and Carey said, noting that student input will be solicited as the project's planning phase moves forward.
Since last fall, "we went on a broad and wide 'road-trip' across campus to provide an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to voice their opinions on the issue (of undergraduate housing)," Carey said. Over 20 meetings were held, including open forums, discussions with various student groups, a discussion with ResCouncil over what a new dorm would look like and a presentation to the Undergraduate Council of Students, Carey said.
Students interviewed by The Herald were generally positive about the possibility of new dorms and renovations to existing residence halls.
"I think that if (the University) builds a new dorm, it should have the feeling of an apartment, so that people feel like they have a place of their own," said Dan Hudner '08, who currently lives in Young Orchard Apartments but is moving off campus next year. "It would be nice if social life was more centered around campus," which could be brought about by a new dorm, he added.
