As the time to select next year’s living spaces slowly approaches, students are pondering the question: where will I live next year? In order to help ease the stress of the housing process, the Residence Hall Association (RHA) recently put on two occupancy discussion events for students.
On Jan. 30 and Jan. 31, students and administrators gathered in the Wade Pioneer Room and Rough Rider Room respectively to discuss on-campus living options. Director of housing Alma Sealine and assistant director for campus living Loretta Sexton represented the Office of Housing and Residence Life.
As shown in the “Where Will You Live in 2013-2014” housing options newsletter, several housing options have changed for the upcoming year. Incoming first year students, who are required to live on-campus, will live in Smith, Taft, Tyler, Norton, Raymond, Sherman, Cutler, the first four floors of Clarke Tower, Hitchcock, Pierce, and Storrs. Rising second-year students, who also have to live on campus, have the options of Glaser, Kush, Michelson, Alumni, Howe, Staley, Tippit, the top six floors of Clarke Tower, and House 1 of the Village at 115.
However, in order to live in House 1, rising sophomores must fill out an application for and be accepted into the Explore, Engage, and Envision program. This new program will help students “gain leadership skills and make the most of the CWRU experience” according to the newsletter. More information is expected to be available soon.
The application to get into House 1 will entail a minimum GPA, no judicial standing problems, and an application with a short essay. The application will go live this week and applicants will know whether they were accepted or denied before the lottery for other sophomore housing begins.
Even though graduate students serve as Graduate Resident Mentors (GRMs) in Houses 2 through 7, the second-year students in House 1 will have undergraduate Resident Assistants (RAs).
In regards to sophomore living, since Staley and Tippit are usually upperclassmen housing, they will be more expensive than the other options and House 1 will be the most expensive option. Clarke tower will be cheaper than all other options.
Upper-class students, if they choose to live on-campus, will be able to live in the Village at 115 in Houses 2 through 7, a selection of apartments from the North Property Management Apartments, or a selection of apartments from the South Property Management Apartments/Houses.
In order to determine the housing options needed, the Office of Housing and Residence Life staff has been working since September and looked at ten years’ worth of occupancy data in order to determine, among other statistics, how many first year students will continue onto their second year and how many upperclassmen take advantage of on-campus housing.
The goal for the incoming freshmen class is to have between 1200 and 1250 students. If the actual class size is larger, then housing options may be modified. Any student who wants to live on-campus will be accommodated. However, certain students may be displaced to a different living area than they originally planned depending on the space the incoming first year class occupies.
“Our goal is to never displace students if we don’t have to,” said Sealine.
As the large class of 2016 continues in their college careers, the Office of Housing and Residence Life said they will do their best to accommodate everyone interested in living on campus. President Snyder is supportive of a residential campus.