Residence hall crunch, bugs students, parents
February 27, 2002
The study rooms in Sacramento State Residence Halls are serving as living accommodations for some students this term, while there is currently a wait list for available rooms. Students on that list have been living in study rooms anticipating bed spaces. Students who normally study in Sierra Hall have resorted to using the dining halls for studying because the study rooms are occupied.
“The bad thing about studying in the dining halls is that we have to be done by 11:00,” said senior Kory Martin, who leads a popular study group, “This can be confining for students.”
The dining halls serve until 7:30 p.m., but students can stay and study until the store closes at 11 p.m.
Although the study rooms are larger than residence rooms, housing an average of six students, the personal space is much smaller.
“There are no closets. You basically have to put your things under your bed or up against the wall,” said Rachel Guistand, a second semester freshmen who spent half of the semester living in a study room.
The Residence Halls currently house about 1000 students. “Most of our students are freshmen whose parents would prefer them to live on campus,” said Eryca Taylor, Residence Hall Reslink Assistant.
The average time for students living on campus is about one year, after which they find off campus housing or leave the campus.
“My parents weren?t really pleased about me living in a study room, but at least I had somewhere to go,” said Guistand, “I didn?t even know where I was going to live until a couple of days before school started.”
Spring wait list figures are down to 15 from the fall high of 60. Prospective Residence Hall students must honor a minimum one year lease that can not be broken unless the student is leaving the campus or getting married.
“This information is disclosed to parents right away. They still chose to have their children wait,” said Taylor.
The large wait list is a result of high enrollment along with the hike in utilities rates in off campus housing.
“We had a lot of students come back to the residence halls when utilities shot up,” said Assistant Director of Residence Halls, Jane Heaton.
“With enrollment going up and down we are not anticipating any new buildings right now,” Heaton said.
California State University, Sonoma however, has accommodated their student housing growth by adding 1000 rooms in their residence community.
The university currently has no plans to build more residence halls to accommodate the influx of students.