A record number of students cramming onto the Sacramento State campus this semester has forced university residence halls to turn students away for the first time in more than 10 years.

Campus residence halls haven?t had to go on a waiting list since 1989, said Director of Housing and Residential Life Cynthia Cockrill. Currently the waiting list is about 150 students, but during the summer the list reached as high as 250.

To adjust to the influx of students, the residence halls have converted rooms that were once singles to doubles, and former study rooms became temporary housing for 18 students until the staff can find permanent rooms, Cockrill said.

Unlike regular rooms though, the temporary rooms have no phone or data connections. Residents of the temporary rooms are given a one-third break in rent for every day that they spend in the temporary rooms, she said.

Cockrill believes that the staff anticipated well for the increase in demand at the residence halls and does not think that the overcrowding situation has had a negative effect on students.

“We did not put temps in every nook and cranny,” Cockrill said.

“We did not exceed the capabilities of the (Resident Advisers). We picked good space. Safe space. (The temporary residents) are still part of the community.”

Though some students were able to get into the temporary rooms, many others were left with no place to go. Student Greg Hanes had to settle for an apartment three miles from campus when he couldn?t get into the residence halls.

Hanes said he was frustrated with the process of locating housing through Sac State, claiming he was given the “run around” by staff at the residence halls.

“I played phone tag and no one would talk to me,” Hanes said.

Cockrill said residence hall staff did not directly help students who were unable to get into the halls find apartments in town. They did, however, offer referrals to programs such as the Student Access Center, she said.

Students living in the halls said they don?t mind the unusual abundance of neighbors, though student Heather Swanson said the absence of study space is an inconvenience.

“I do wish they had study halls on the floors,” Swanson said. “That would make studying a lot easier.”

If the residence halls continue to see overcrowding next year Cockrill said there will be no more single rooms, and larger double rooms will become triple occupancy rooms.

“I am anxious to find out what spring demands will be,” Cockrill said.

There are currently no plans for a new residence hall, but the campus will see apartment-style housing in 2005.