More upperclassmen in dorms contribute to overflow

With 600 more upperclassmen living in the residence halls this year than in 2009, Residential Programs and Services officials said they have noticed the increase in students choosing to stay on campus after their freshman year.

“We usually wind up keeping an average of 25 to 30 percent retention rate for the next year,” said Sara Ivey Lucas, assistant director of assignments for RPS. “More students in the living-learning community stay because of the intentional connection that gets built on in their first formidable experience on campus.

There are a lot of different things in the residence halls that gets them excited about the community and makes them want to be part of that again.”

Pat Connor, executive director of RPS, said the University saw an increase in upperclassmen retention rates partly because of the opening of Union Street Center this fall, the first new residential construction project on campus in more than 40 years.

“We are making an investment in our system for students who want to stay on campus but had no options before,” Connor said.

“There is an opportunity of choice. There is a changing demand in what students want. Our focus is to make sure that in our system a student who wants to stay on campus can. Over time, our goal is to provide a wider variety so students have a choice.”

Ivey Lucas said the trend of the increased retention rate should hold steady in the future.

“It peaks and valleys at least over my 20-year history with the department,” she said. “Previous to these last two years, we saw an increase 10 to 12 years ago with the Willkie renovation. There is an interest in the new living environment.”

Sophomore Susanna Johnson is one student who decided to live on campus — in Read Center — for another year.

“It is very convenient, that is really why,” Johnson said. “Read is right across from the music school so it takes two minutes to walk to class.”

RPS is also working on renovating dorms to make them more appealing to upperclassmen.

Briscoe Quad is currently undergoing renovation, which will be completed in fall 2012. Connor said 50 percent of the dorm will be reserved for returning students to try to change the culture of the Northwest neighborhood.

“Success in Briscoe will encourage us to move along in our plans to build more buildings aimed at returning students,” he said.

Connor also said bathroom renovations in Teter and McNutt Quads are more than halfway complete.

“We feel that the fact that Teter’s overall retention rate is increased can be a little bit contributed to the new standard of bathrooms, as it makes it more plausible to stay another year because of the enhanced privacy in residence halls,” he said.

Residence Halls Association President and senior Katie Lambert said the increased retention in the dorms has caused additional work for RPS.

“Overall, the quality of the residence halls would decline because residents wouldn’t have a space to call their own,” Lambert said.

“We are working right now to address the issue of how many students are admitted to the University to help with the current situation. We need students in the residence halls to vocalize and present their rights to the proper administrators.”