August 13, 2008

Purdue expects full house in on-campus residences

Almost half of those residents will check into halls beginning Saturday (Aug. 16) for Boiler Gold Rush, a multiday orientation program for new students. Nearly 90 percent of beginning students elect to live in University Residences.

"On-campus housing provides easy access to the full benefits of campus life," said executive director Barbara Frazee. "With its community-building activities and popular dining options, residential life paves the way for a positive transition to college."

Frazee said University Residences makes every effort to accommodate all students who desire to live on campus. Temporary housing has been arranged for students who continued to apply after the May 1 deadline.

Residence halls have created more than 150 temporary spaces, including in guest apartments, study rooms and lounges in many halls, and rooms at the Union Club Hotel.

"Students who have been assigned to temporary housing typically applied late in the process and were advised they might be housed in converted spaces," said Robert Heitert, director of administration for University Residences.

Heitert expects the majority of students in temporary housing will be in permanent housing by October break. The remaining students will receive permanent housing no later than January.

"We are pleased that we are the housing of choice for so many students, and we do our absolute best to accommodate every student who wants to live in University Residences," he said.

Frazee said students living in temporary spaces experience all the benefits of residential life including educational and social programs.

"The ongoing popularity of on-campus housing is what prompts and allows us to continuously improve and now add to our housing options," she said.

University Residences will reopen the completely renovated Wood Hall this month in the women-only Windsor Halls complex. A new residence hall, Purdue's first to feature all single-bed resident rooms with private baths, will open next August with 365 new spaces.

Frazee said students who apply too late to receive any University Residences housing this fall will be provided suggestions for other housing options in the community.

Purdue University Residences is entirely self-supporting and receives no tax or tuition dollars. More University Residences information is available online at https://www.housing.purdue.edu. With nearly 12,000 residents, Purdue University Residences is the largest on-campus housing system in the nation where every student lives on campus voluntarily. About 30 percent of all Purdue students live on campus.

Writer: Jim Schenke, (765) 494-6262, jschenke@purdue.edu

Sources:   Barbara Frazee, (765) 494-1000, bjfrazee@purdue.edu 

Robert Heitert, (765) 494-1000, rheitert@purdue.edu  

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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