University of Idaho Housing recently adjusted the dates that students may reserve a room in one of UI’s residence halls, for the next academic year.
Jessica Greene | Argonaut
Students that return to live on campus after their first year tend to live in one of the Living Learning Communities or McConnell, pictured. Historically, the majority of students that live in McConnell are returning students.
Live Here Another Year is the student retention program developed by the department. Freshman to senior students planning to live in UI’s residence halls for the 2014-2015 school year may reserve a room Nov. 1 through May 16.
From Nov. 1-5 students, through an application, may reserve their current room for the
upcoming year.
Returning students cannot reserve rooms in the exclusively freshmen halls — Theophilus Tower, Upham hall in the Living Learning Communities and Willey, first and second
floor, in Wallace.
“The majority of our students are returning to the Living Learning Communities — as well McConnell, we get about 80 percent of that building that returns,” Cara Lehman, marketing coordinator for University Housing, said. “Targhee has a few spots that we see every year that people return to, and the same with Wallace.”
There will be two days of processing before Nov. 8 when applications open up for all remaining rooms in the residence hall system. This is the second phase of Live Here Another Year.
Those students living off campus that will return to a residence hall for the 2014-2015 school year, as well as incoming freshmen, have access to the application process starting Nov. 15. New students have the option to select their rooms and roommates this year,
as well.
Lehman said returning roommates wishing to room together for the upcoming year are encouraged to renew together, being that returning students have full selection of all dorms. She said whether two students move from Theophilus Tower to Wallace, or five students move into a suite in the LLCs, roommates have full advantage of
the system.
Should a student reserve a room and decide to live in another before the upcoming school year, they have the ability to cancel their current reservation and select a new, available space. There is no fee associated with this. If, however, the student switches rooms once classes begin in the 2014-2015 school year, there is a $25 fee.
Students may complete the application process online at www.iwanthousing.uidaho.edu. The application will be the same as prior years. Students sign in with their net ID and password, and choose the 2014-2015 school year. The website saves information such as contact information and mailing addresses from previous years. Students need only edit specific,
new information.
Those living off campus that wish to live in a residence hall in the upcoming year will complete the application process under the format of a new student.
The $250 deposit from the prior year will carry over to the next when the application process is finished. According to Kelsi Nagle, recruitment coordinator for University Housing, the deposit will not show up at all during the application process.
According to Nagle, students expressed concern in the previous years that university housing opened applications too late in the year, and by that time students had already pursued living off campus. Many students, Nagle said, felt locked into contracts
and leases.
“What we’re providing (students) is the opportunity to: one, have a longer period of time to look at the rooms and choices available,” Nagle said. “And also, that (students) are not getting into contracts with off-campus markets without realizing what they’re getting themselves into.”
Nagle said Live Here Another Year is provided in part for students who aren’t ready to live off campus and pay for the amenities that come with off-campus life.
This is the second year the resident scholar program is in effect. Students who have lived on campus for four years and graduated in four years receive a rebate of $1500 upon graduation, given they filled out an application for the rebate. According to Lehman, this is one of the incentives of living on campus for four years. Four graduating students received the rebate
last spring.
“Last year, we saw a fairly high retention rate, but not as high as we would like it to be,” Nagle said.
According to Lehman and Nagle, approximately 500 students, or 30 percent of the UI housing population, reserved rooms and returned to the residence halls last year. Nagle hopes for 50 percent or higher for the next year.
“We’re hoping to get 600 or more students, because that truly will give us a good benchmark in seeing how our off campus versus on campus students are doing,” Nagle said.
This year, costs on double rooms did not increase. LLC single rooms decreased in cost by approximately $100.