On Wednesday, April 6, over a dozen groups of rising juniors were forced to pick rooms in McManis-Evans Hall or Williston Hall after all four campus apartment buildings were filled. This came almost two weeks after multiple rising seniors received an email on March 24 from housing services denying them off-campus permission.
Sophomore Anna Charles is a member of one of the groups that did not receive apartment housing. Charles and her four roommates were planning to register for an apartment in Terrace, which are generally assumed to be “pretty easy to get.”
“When 12:50 p.m. on Wednesday rolled around and we eagerly logged on to pick our apartment, we all stared in shock at the screen when we saw ‘All apartments are full,’” Charles said. Despite having “loved” her experience in McManis-Evans this past year, Charles and her roommates were disappointed to learn they may not be able to live together.
But on April 7, just one day after rising juniors were forced to register for dorm housing, at least four groups of rising seniors received an email explaining that they would be allowed off-campus permission for the next academic year.
Junior James Goth and his roommates were fourth on the waiting list. When initially denied off-campus housing, they were upset but considered themselves lucky to get out of the legally-binding lease they had signed prior to being denied off campus.
But after being granted permission this week, the group had to search for a new house as they only got out of the lease by finding five replacement tenants. “It’s just a disappointing situation all around.” Goth said.
Associate dean of Residence Life Justin Heth explained that the reason for the housing problems was an issue of imperfect science. The housing process consists of estimating the number of returning students, travel abroad students and students that will live at home. “We look to fill up all of our spaces on campus first before we reevaluate if more students can be allowed off-campus,” Heth said.
Rising sophomores will still have the opportunity to apply for McManis-Evans housing, though numbers will be influenced by a higher number of rising juniors who wished to live in McManis-Evans, as well as those who did not get into apartments.
“We understand that some students feel the ups and downs of the housing experience … that is why we are always looking for ways to continue to improve our process,” Heth said.
It is unclear how the reevaluation of off-campus housing permission will affect the apartment waiting list, but rising juniors such as Charles and her roommates are “optimistic” in their hopes of getting off the waiting list.
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