Residence hall rooms could take five students due to larger than expected population
The rooms will be the same, but they may be a bit more crowded this fall.
Shaun Holtgreive, associate director of Residence Life, said some residence halls will host five students, one more than the previous maximum.
“They will be spread out throughout the campus,” he said.
Holtgreive said there are three reasons some of the rooms will have a fifth person: The number of returning students to residence halls, the record number of incoming freshman and a lower cancellation rate.
He said currently there are 2,313 students returning to the residence halls, but that number could change as a result of an offer from residence life to returning students in the dorms.
Residence Life sent out an e-mail offering students returning to residence halls the opportunity to leave without facing any penalty.
“Until Friday, July 16, 2010, we are offering returning residence hall students an opportunity to break their contract and move to an off campus apartment or house, without a contract breakage/cancellation penalty,” the e-mail stated.
Holtgreive said another reason for more students in the residence halls is because a bigger percentage of freshmen are staying in the dorms.
“Normally, we house 94 percent of freshmen that number is accurate to the historic marker,” he said. “Right now, we are at 97 percent.”
Director of Admissions Betty Wagner said this year admissions is expecting 3,900 to 4,100 incoming freshmen.
“Our best indication is orientation numbers,” Wagner said. “As of July 8, 4,167 freshmen attended orientation.”
She said CMU, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan were the only three universities in the state that had to close admission early.
Holtgreive said Residence Life is not profiting on the fifth roommate because if an extra person has to move into the room the money they pay to Residence Life will be split between all the roommates.
He said bunk beds will be set up for rooms that have five residents. The extra bed will go in the big bedroom, he said.
Scholarships
Holtgreive also said some students who might have to stay because of scholarships could also be given the opportunity to leave early and not lose their eligibility.
He said the opportunity would be extended to students who are getting a scholarship but are not under a specific program.
“For example, Centralis scholarship recipients would have to talk to their program director,” he said.
