As of Wednesday, sixty-four U of A students are living in designated overflow housing. Some are living in converted common areas, while others are living with resident assistants. Three are living in a hotel.
Director of Administrative Services Billy Blount says that all overflow rooms have the same amenities as regular rooms. The three students in Staybridge Suites even have their own RA.
Those who end up in overflow housing either sign a housing contract late or never select a room. In the case of freshman Amber Higgins, it was a late decision between NWACC and the U of A that landed her in a converted study area.
Higgins only decided to attend the U of A just a few weeks before she enrolled in classes. When she arrived to campus on move-in day, she had to make an appointment with the housing office to find out which residence hall she would be living in.
This isn’t necessarily a new problem. Last year seventy-two students were in this situation. However, before the end of the Fall term, all had been moved to permanent assignments.
The Housing Office will begin moving students around in the next few weeks. Every year, some students decide not to attend the U of A, but fail to tell anyone they’re not coming. These will be the first rooms to be filled. First priority goes to the students living in the hotel.
Blount says that while the University’s masterplan identifies an area on the South end of campus for more housing, there is no specified time for this project to begin.