Housing to offer room choices for returning students
In an attempt to keep more students living on campus, Utah State University Housing and Food Services has designated the west side of Merrill Hall as a returning resident community.
“We’re trying to overcome the perception that only freshmen are supposed to live on campus,” said Whitney Milligan, assistant director of Housing and Food Services.
Milligan said the most common reason current residents do not live on campus again is because they think there will be too many freshmen. She said she hopes by establishing an area where a student’s roommates and neighbors are also returning residents, more students will return.
Merrill Hall was selected because south campus housing has been the most popular for returning residents in the past, she said. This year, 25 percent of last year’s residents live on-campus. The statistic is up from the previous two years and Housing and Food Services would like it to be even higher, Milligan said.
The university is pushing for greater retention because statistics show that students living on-campus receive higher GPAs, take more classes and are more likely to graduate, Milligan said.
“You are more likely to go to class when you live right next door to the building,” she said.
USU also wants to form a connection with students that will survive into their alumni years, she said.
A new opportunity for returning residents this year is priority room choice, Milligan said. Current residents can go to any hall, walk around, and pick the specific room they would like for the fall.
Current residents have first choice over incoming freshman, even though new students have been signing up since September, she said. The offer goes from February 14 to 28, and then freshmen will be assigned their rooms. Another incentive to renew contracts for on-campus housing is the possibility of winning rent credit, Milligan said. After completing an on-campus scavenger hunt and signing up for housing, a student is submitted into the drawing. The first prize, a $500 rent credit, is available only to a returning resident.
The second and third prizes, $400 and $300, can be received by any student living on-campus next fall, she said. Milligan said there are many benefits to living on campus, staff support being a big one.
“There is always someone here to respond,” she said. “We have people on call 24 hours a day. And staff dont just respond, they teach. We encourage interpersonal development.”
“What we’re all about is the resident’s life. That’s what makes us different from landlords. We’re creating experience, not just providing a place to live,” she said.
Kris Cox, a senior studying English, said she likes living on-campus.
“Living so close keeps me in the college mind-set,” she said.
Cox said choosing where to live is a personal thing.
“For me, it was worth it. I had friends who were staying and the university offered us $100 on our ID cards if we signed up again,” she said.
Milligan did not mention if the $100 would be offered again this year. Matt Dias, a junior majoring in elementary education, said he likes living on campus because of the activities and the convenience of the shuttle. He said he also likes the staff support.
“I don’t have to put up with a landlord,” he said, “just the RA’s, and they are cool.
Courtney Hill, a freshman majoring in English and art history, also likes the RA’s.
“It’s like having a mom away from home,” she said.
Dias mentioned the unique opportunities presented by theme buildings.
“I love living in the Leadership House,” he said. “Global Village is amazing if you are interested in learning about people around the world. I just met a guy from Pakistan.
In addition to theme buildings, on-campus housing also offers theme floors and freshman interest groups, Milligan said. Examples of theme floors are the Vector Floor, for engineering majors and the American Sign Language Floor for deaf education majors.
Freshman interest groups range from Outdoor Adventures to Appreciating the Arts. Each group is given a budget, Milligan said, and the mentors plan activities. Some activities from this year include learning how to wax a snow board and going to the Sundance Film Festival, she said.
-ashschiller@cc.usu.edu