Residences to be revamped, provide more privacy

As the next 10 years go by, Residential Programs and Services and the Residence Halls Association plan to have more suites and apartments available for students to live in on campus.\nRPS is considering several projects for the future, said director Pat Connor. The projects will mainly focus on the renovation of existing facilities, but could involve constructing new ones. At this point, however, RPS is not planning to change the overall capacity of the residential system.\nRPS would like to develop apartment-style housing in each of the residential neighborhoods, he said. These units would be designed to provide better housing options for returning students, particularly juniors and seniors.\nRPS officials also want to improve housing for younger students. They are considering changing the configuration of Briscoe and Forest quads so they will have suites that would accommodate up to four students. \n"This will provide better housing options for first- and second-year students and reduce the number of students housed in those facilities," Connor said.\nIn addition, Connor promised RPS will equip all undergraduate residences with the newest technology and will make "on-going improvements, particularly aimed at adding elements of privacy when possible." \nRPS might also renovate or replace some of the on-campus apartment buildings on the northeast side of campus, he said. These facilities house mostly graduate and doctoral students and students with young families.\nThe renovation of Ashton Center, which has been the most talked about project recently, is still the subject of "on-going" discussion, and Connor is unsure of when the IU board of trustees will decide to take action on it.\nRHA President Owen Sutkowski would like it to go through, however. He and other RHA members will be discussing the project more in-depth soon.\nSutkowski also wants to see more "civic engagement" from students in the residence halls during the next 10 years. The Community Leadership Development Centers in the residence halls have grown a lot in the past few years and he wants them to have an even bigger influence on campus.\n"It's one of those (programs) that will be awesome," he said.\nNo matter what happens, Sutkowski hopes that students will always be the first priority in any changes.\n"In the next 10 years, I want (IU) to meet students' changing needs and wants," he said.