This year, roughly 20 students were placed in learning communities they did not apply for.
These students were placed in whichever community matched their requested neighborhood.
This was a result of strategic consolidation in response to last year’s housing gaps, said Sara Ivey-Lucas, assistant director for Housing Assignments.
Last fall, nearly 200 vacancies occurred across campus after the first week, Ivey-Lucas said. This is because of “no show” students.
Residential Programs and Services was slower to assign late-applicant freshman this year and quick to fill in any spaces left by cancellations, Ivey-Lucas said.
RPS offers 10 learning communities for on-campus housing. Four of these communities, Foster International, Media, Women in Science and Global Village, had extra students moved to their floor in this consolidation process.
Only two full rooms were added to the Media and Women in Science communities, whereas 10 to 15 rooms were added to Foster International and the Global Village, Ivey-Lucas said.
Unplanned residents are not required to pay the learning community fee nor participate in community activities.
Every community has welcomed at least one new resident who has agreed to participate in the community, said Denise Gowin, associate director of RPS Academic Initiatives and Services.
“It makes it a better experience for the student if they feel like they’re a part of the community,” Gowin said.
Consolidation is also due to the large freshman class, as well as the closing of Brown Hall in Collins, Gowin said.
The students now have three options — to stay on the floor and join the community, to remain on the floor without being in the community or to request a room change in two to three weeks. These students will receive priority if they choose to move, Ivey-Lucas said.
