New housing selection system favoring complete roommate groups introduced for next year

by EMILY SEFF

Staff Writer

The housing selection process has changed to give priority to complete roommate groups.

In previous years, the selection was done by a lottery based on credits. Rising seniors would pick first, followed by rising juniors, and then by sophomores. Now, under the 4-3-2-1 system, instead of housing selection slots being given out based on credit hours completed, it’s now based on roommate group size. Roommate groups comprised of four people will pick first, then three people, and so on. Within each group of the 4 to 1-person roommate groups, seniors will pick first, then juniors and sophomores. 

These changes were made after receiving feedback from many students over the years, according to David Fleming, dean of Residence Life.

“[Students had] frustrations around roommate groups being split due to no fully available suites/apartments,” he said. 

Now the process considers not only classification but also roommate group size, to prevent students from having to break up their roommate group into smaller groups in order to be in the building of their choice. 

Fleming hopes this system will be a “…more streamlined and fair housing process where students can live with their friends.”

The new process dictates that student groups can be moved around within their chosen building by Residence Life staff, but this should be less common given that full apartments or suites will fill up first, resulting in fewer unfilled rooms overall.

Homesteading, the process that allowed students to sign up to remain in the rooms they were already in for the upcoming year has also been replaced by “same building sign up.” This new process allows students to choose to stay within the same building while providing the freedom to change their roommate group or room.

The new changes have been met with mixed reviews by students. 

Cameron Ashley, a junior communication and classics double major, said “I would be so upset to be a senior with a two person roommate group that wasn’t able to live where I wanted to because there was no room for my group and I picked after juniors and sophomores.” 

“Logistically the new system makes sense, but seniors should have priority since it’s their last year and their last chance to live where they want if they couldn’t get rooms in that building before,” said Ashley. 

Alternatively, some students think that keeping roommate groups together is a plus. 

“Knowing that my roommate group is less likely to get split up is a huge stress relief and makes me look forward to next year even more,” said Sarah Parker, a junior women and gender studies and English creative writing double major.

Housing selection roommate groups must be finalized by March 10, and same building sign up starts March 24. The new selection process will open for everyone else beginning March 30 and ending April 3.