New class size raises housing questions
The expansion of the first-year class has resulted in an increased amount of students residing in lofted triples, double rooms that are converted so that three students can live there instead of two, Senior Director of Community Living Jeremy Leiferman wrote in an email to the Justice.
The Class of 2015 consists of approximately 864 students, with 108 midyears enrolling in January, totaling 972 students, Vice President of Students and Enrollment Keenyn McFarlane wrote in an email to the Justice.
In comparison, McFarlane wrote that 869 students enrolled for the Class of 2014, with 761 students enrolled in the fall semester and 108 enrolled in January.
Dean of Admissions Mark Spencer explained in a phone interview with the Justice that the decision to increase class size stemmed from the economic downturn in 2009.
He said the University would maintain this goal of enrolling 855 students for the Class of 2016.
There are 75 lofted triple rooms this year that house a total of 225 first-year students, Leiferman wrote.
This number represents an increase from last year, when, according to Leiferman, there were 30 lofted triples, with 90 students living in them.
This conversion of a double room into a lofted triple, however, will not affect the midyear class. Leiferman wrote that the members of the midyear class will live in the Village in place of the students going abroad in the spring.
"At this point, it looks like there will be just slightly greater than 100 midyears arriving this January," he wrote.
"Those students will be assigned to spaces in the Village vacated by students going abroad in the spring," he continued, adding, "we do not anticipate needing to assign midyears to lofted triple rooms for this spring."
Currently, first-years and sophomores are guaranteed housing, but not the junior and senior classes.
Leiferman emphasized that this policy would not change with the increased size of the first-year class, but noted that "the increased number of sophomores next year will likely result in fewer beds for juniors and seniors."
"We have not yet set up designations for [the academic year] 2012-13, but there will definitely be a higher need for sophomore housing for next year given the increased numbers. Sophomores are still guaranteed housing."
According to Leiferman, the Department of Community Living will begin working on the housing arrangements for the 2012-2013 year in the next few weeks.
"We are not yet sure of the specific impact that the increased number of sophomores will have," he explained.
When asked if the expanded number of triples had yielded complaints, Leiferman responded that the DCL had not received "any complaints, per se."
"We do [recognize] that living in a triple is not an easy situation and requires a little more effort on the students behalf to manage a tighter space and additional relationships," he wrote.
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