Packed halls have students camped in lounges
■ Crammed halls and waiting
lists face new dorm residents,
and some greek hopefuls
must sleep in living rooms
By Lisa Toth
Oregon Daily Emerald
Incoming freshman Jenifer Walsh
arrived at the residence halls from
Las Vegas expecting to be “camping
on a cot.”
The economics major was one of
seven students temporarily placed
in the lounge in Ganoe, a hall in the
Bean Complex, instead of a typical
room. But the conditions are more
comfortable and spacious than the
students had anticipated and the
group has remained positive about
starting their college experience in
the very public living quarters.
These students, along with others
boarded in McAlister and Schafer
halls, are going through Greek Re
cruitment Week, which begins Sept.
28. They must be moved out of tem
porary housing and into their poten
tial greek houses by Oct. 13.
If they decide not to join a chap
ter, Walsh said that University
Housing promised to find rooms in
the residence halls for the students.
The living situation is tight, but
housing is facing full capacity this
year, a change from last year when
Housing lost money because of low
residency. This year, things are dif
ferent: University enrollment is up,
and a new campaign to promote life
in the residence halls has drawn
students.
And while living is cramped
now, housing officials said that by
the fourth week of classes the resi
dence halls should be operating
smoothly as students move into
greek houses or move off campus.
“As we get cancellations for regu
lar residence hall rooms, people in
the temporary spaces will be moved
into those vacant spaces if they are
Campus housing stats
2000-01 expected enrollment:
17,400
1999- 2000 enrollment: 17,278
2000- 2001 returning residents: 309
checked in
1999-2000 returning residents: 407
signed up
1998-99 returning residents: 358
checked in
SOURCES: Enrollment Management and Uni
versity Housing
choosing not to join either a fraterni
ty or a sorority,” Bean Complex Di
rector Mark Brinkmann said. The
full capacity of the residence halls
is partly due to enrollment growth
at the University. Jim Buch, associ
ate vice president for enrollment
management, said that last year en
rollment was at 17,278 and, by the
fourth week of school this year, it is
expected to reach 17,400 or more.
University Housing Director
Michael Eyster said that by the end
of fall term last year, the residence
halls had a net loss of 82 occupants.
By the end of spring term that num
ber reached 238.
The majority of the 3,102 stu
dents entering on-campus housing
began moving in on Sept. 20, but
only 60 of those incoming freshmen
were granted single rooms, accord
ing to Eyster. The 531 students who
requested single rooms were placed
on a waiting list and boarded in
double rooms.
“I doubt we will get through our
waiting list like we did last year,”
Eyster said.
But returning residents aren’t
complaining. Eyster said that of the
400 returning residents, 260 re
quested singles. University’ Housing
was able to accommodate all 260.
“Returning residents get priority
in room selection,” Eyster said.
Dan Brunell Emerald
The University is offering temporary housing for more tl.an 400 women and men who want to join a Greek house. The University has
given them a deadline of Oct. 15 to move out.
adding that by the fourth week of
school, residence hall occupancy
should reach the “comfortable ca
pacity” of 3,125 residents.
Last year, the drop in housing oc
cupancy made for a tighter budget,
which must cover costs independ
ently from the rest of the University.
“This year, we have more finan
cial ability to spend money on serv
ices for students because we are
full,” he said.
Eyster added that upgrades and
services for residents this fall in
clude special-interest halls, such as
the popular Cyber Hall, a fresh coat
of paint in many rooms and residen
tial Freshmen Interest Group halls.
Aside from adding improve
ments to advertising material and
their Web site, University Housing
wanted to welcome students to resi
dence life in a new way, Eyster said.
“Something small but noticeable
we did was to put “0”s in the win
dows to help students feel more a
part of the community and the Uni
versity,” he said. Eyster also said
there are currently 107 students on a
waiting list to get into double-occu
pancy rooms at the University Inn.
Unlike last year, Eyster said that
this year University Housing
stopped promoting resident hall
housing to Lane Community Col
lege students. However, there are
still 63 LCC students who will be
living in the residence halls.
Eyster said University Housing is
also starting site preparation for a
graduate student apartment com
plex. The development will offer 72
one-bedroom and studio apart
ments for graduate students.
“I don’t know if we’ll have fewer
graduate students living in the resi
dence halls,” Eyster said. “What we
are doing is providing options for a
certain segment of students who
didn’t have options before.”
The complex will be located be
tween Moss and Villard streets, just
north of 15th Street, and is expected
to be completed one year from now.
As with Oregon’s student hous
ing, Oregon State University’s resi
dence halls are also overflowing
due to increased enrollment. With
3,400 housing contracts signed,
OSU converted resident advisors’
rooms and study rooms into living
spaces for incoming residents.
OSU Assistant Director of Hous
ing and Dining Services Eric
Hansen said this increase is also be
cause of the renovation of residence
halls and more targeted marketing
to keep students better informed
about their housing options.
Hansen attributes the squeeze on
housing to the closing of one resi
dence hall for renovation, which is
expected to re-open next fall along
with a new residential building.
“We will be able to accommodate
the enrollment growth in the ex
pected housing demand for the fall
2001,” he said.
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