For the first time in the past three years sophomores were granted priority in the self-selection housing process, leaving seniors to select last. In addition to this change in selection order, the selection options for each class also changed from how they were in previous years.
One of the most notable changes is that Mako Hall, a new apartment style dorm built in 2019, which was previously reserved for juniors and seniors with the exception of Razors Edge sophomores, is now dominated by rising sophomores taking up six out of the seven floors of the building.
With this change, junior and senior selection was limited to the seventh floor of Mako, located on the main campus, Rolling Hills, a housing site on campus located about a quarter of a mile from University Center, and University Pointe, an off-campus apartment complex.
Victoria Myer, director of university housing operations at the Department of Housing said, “We require students with zero to 48 credits to live on campus we kind of flipped the order so the students that are required to live on campus selected first.”
Because of this change, when juniors and seniors went to select from the one floor available in Mako, the rooms were filled in a matter of seconds, leaving those who did not get a room in Mako to select a room in Rolling Hills.
Myer discussed some of the reasons this change in selection happened.
“Housing contracts have now gone up to 87 percent. Previously in 2017, it was only 75 percent and then in 2018 and then again in 2019 it was 80 percent, so this year we have 87% of our students who aren’t required [to live on campus] that did a contract, so we went up significantly in that regard,” she said.
She also discussed that there was a significant increase in disability accommodations that could only be met in Mako hall, noting over 100 cases.
Jade Quiles, junior elementary education major said, “Unfortunately I feel like the changes made with self-selection are unfair, it feels like juniors and seniors are being kicked out.”
Quiles, who currently lives in Rolling Hills but was hoping to get a room in Mako as a junior, also mentioned that although Rolling Hills is considered to be on campus, it is quite the walk from the main parts of the university.
“There is a shuttle service available for students at Rolling Hills, but I don’t feel like it comes as frequent as it should, especially on weekends,” said Quiles
Students are still adjusting, and the university is aware that many are unhappy with these new changes.
Myer did mention that executives have been having serious talks about building a new dorm on the campus, however it is unclear whether this will be pursued.
