Extreme measures have been put in place due to an overflow in on-campus housing this year.
In Lee Clark College and James H. Richmond College, several rooms host three students, instead of two.
Due to an influx in students living on campus, several agreed to take an extra roommate for a reduction in their housing rates.
David Wilson, director of housing for Murray State, has had to come up with several solutions to alleviate the situation.
“The main issue is working to find space for the students coming for the fall,” Wilson said. “We have spaces where we can temporarily place three or four beds to get people on campus, and then once we have no-shows, we can get them into a space.”
Wilson said the University did not look into putting some students on off-campus facilities.
Peter Hausladen, residential director of Lee Clark, said 30 percent of students moved in for sorority rush, which began Aug. 14.
“Move-in this year went extremely smoothly,” Hausladen said. “Even the intermittent rain couldn’t mess things up.”
With Hester Residential College closed for renovations, Hester residents are being stationed at Old Richmond Residential College for the time being.
Wilson said there are plans for construction of another residence hall once the renovations to Hester are complete.
Wilson also said the push for freshmen to live on campus traces back to statistics.
“Dr. Miller and Dr. Robertson felt that it was important to have freshmen live on campus if at all possible,” Wilson said. “Research has shown that staying on campus for one to two years has a positive impact on graduation.”
Wilson also said some juniors who receive regional tuition and international students were offered exemptions to move off campus.
Don Robertson, vice president of Student Affairs, said the housing department had a problem trying to find students a place to live prior to move-in.
“It worked out where we found some temporary housing,” Robertson said.
Robertson said the goal was to get as many freshmen as possible to live on
campus.
“Now we are fine,” Robertson said. “We are still over capacity because of the RAs having roommates.”
He said even though housing was crowded this year, no one has been refused a room.
Said Robertson: “At one point we thought we were going to have to turn people away and that has not been the case.”
Staff Report