Renovation plans in place for 3 residence halls

Dorm renovation is a continuous process. By working to update and improve on-campus housing, Residential Programs and Services hopes to increase retention of dorm residents and increase the quality of life for those residents in the coming years. Eigenmann Hall is currently undergoing renovations, and plans are in the works for improvements to Ashton Center and Foster Quad.\nDirector of RPS Pat Connor said one of the organization's main goals is to provide more space on campus that is representative of \nstudents' wants and needs. \nStudent focus groups were used by RPS to learn about students' thoughts and feelings on the subject. \nScott Zuick, a senior resident assistant in Forest Quad, participated as a member of one of the focus groups.\n"The dorm renovations will be helpful once the process is done, by adding things like air conditioning and other renovations for these rooms that haven't been renovated since the '60s or '70s," Zuick said.\nConnor said the renovations will be particularly attractive to upperclassmen choosing to remain on-campus after their freshman year.\n"Most first-year students are looking forward to living with a bunch of people and developing a set of friends," Connor said. "Once you move to your sophomore, junior or senior year you want the new circumstances. Part of our mission is to provide those options for students (on campus)."\nRecent trends have indicated students prefer to move off-campus after their freshman year. Connor hopes the updates will improve the quality of life for students and make living on campus more attractive. He said there are significant advantages to students living on campus -- they do not have to worry about parking and other hassles, and they don't have to pay for many additional services that go along with living off-campus.\nJunior Brian Jones, a resident assistant in Foster-Harper, said the renovations will initially attract more people, but in the long run "will not make very much of a difference." Two of the Foster Quad buildings updated last year, Magee and Martin, continue to be disrespected by students, Jones said.\n"(Harper) definitely needs to be renovated, but (the residents) will just take it for granted," he said. "(RPS) does a good job of renovating, and if the students respect the property, it's worth it."\nHalf of Eigenmann began undergoing renovation in January. The current project includes repiping of the heating and air systems as well as some work in rooms, such as painting and updating the furniture. The first phase is scheduled to be finished in August, and phase two begins in May after the majority of students vacate their rooms.\nOther dorms set to undergo renovation include Foster-Harper and Ashton Center's Moffat and Johnston sections. Renovation in Harper will begin May 6 with the elevators and the top five floors. The rooms of those floors will be refinished, and carpet will be added. There will also be new doors installed for every room. Next year the lower floors will receive the same updates.\nJudy Lafferty, associate director of RPS facilities management, said some students were displaced from Eigenmann this year because of the renovation, but alternative housing was found for all of them.\nBUDGET EFFECTS\nA 4-percent increase in room rates for incoming students was part of the 2002-03 budget announced last month by the Board of Trustees.\nConnor said the cutbacks in state funding did not affect the cost of housing because the residence halls use an auxiliary funding method. \nHe said along with the 4-percent increase outlined in the budget, there will be a 1-percent increase for returning students because of the beginning of a gradual rate-freeze phaseout. \n"Our goal throughout the plan is to keep all of our increases at a minimum," Connor said. "This 1-percent increase for construction and renovation is scheduled to go up for a period of five years, and it might curtail after three years…This is the most conservative plan to be able to finance everything we feel we need to do in the residence halls." \nHe said the 4-percent room rate increase goes toward maintaining supplies and salaries as well as financing what is needed to do to work on residence hall rooms. \nLiving off campus can be a welcome option as it provides some real world experience while students are still in college. But the trend to move off campus might begin to shift in the other direction as students and staff collaborate to make living on campus a more viable option and a rewarding experience.