The extending hand of shared governance has reached the Department of Residence Life.

With housing currently being determined for Marchetti Apartments and the Village Apartments, Residence Life has formed an Apartment Committee of students and staff to help set guidelines and priorities for housing and pull-ins.

“We have really tried to involve students,” said Director of Residence Life Leonard Jones.

The committee of four students and three Residence Life staff members were given the same numbers and information the department uses in its decision making.

Residence Hall Association President Loretta Kojak, a member of the committee, said, “It was an open and honest exchange. Any questions we asked were answered.”

From estimates of the number of incoming freshmen and returning upperclassmen seeking housing, the committee had to determine who would be given priority for campus housing.

Jones explained that a balance had to be reached between the number of commuters, graduates, international and returning students who would be requesting housing in the apartments.

“We had to make some touchy calls,” Kojak said. “We made the choices we made because of the housing situation. Some might not be popular.”

When determining housing priorities, the committee decided to work with categories as they provide a more fair level of analysis. “They’re all our students,” Jones said. “They all deserve our attention, respect, and student representation.”

With approximately 2,900 beds available, any number over that means crowding. Jones said, “We recognize it’s a difficult situation.”

In determining whether to go over the comfortable housing number of 2,900, Residence Life contacted various other universities. Some of those universities set a capacity and will not go over that number; other universities squeeze students into crowded residence halls.

“We just believe it is not responsible on our part to embark on a practice of admitting more students than we can handle,” Jones explained.

Priority for housing is straightforward. First priority will be given to current residents and study-abroad students. New freshmen will receive second priority followed by transfers from outside a 30-mile radius. After May 1, transfers within 30 miles followed by commuters, grad students, and family housing needs will be prioritized.

Other actions of the committee were to lower the required GPA to 2.0 as well as specify that all one-bed room apartments will have two occupants and all two-bedrooms will have three occupants.

“I felt the student voice was valued in the decision making process,” Kojak said.

The amount of community space in the residence halls has been a concern at RHA meetings. Jones said that the consensus of the committee was to note make the problem worse, at least.

In response to the suggestion that another residence hall be built, Jones said that that does not fall under his department. “Our job is to manage what we’re given,” he said.