For the third year in a row, the Department of Housing and Residence Life finds itself with a housing overflow at the beginning of a new school year.
The Manresa Center, an off-campus facility used Saint Louis University for retreats and conferences, has been serving to accommodate the overflow until the university can find permanent places for the students who are living there to stay.
According to Dawn Aldrich, Associate Director for Residential Education, as of Aug. 25, there were still 51 students living in the Manresa Center.
“We will process those students into on-campus spaces as they become open the first few weeks of the fall semester,” said Aldrich, “Last year we had all the students out of Manresa by Sept. 4.”
In the meantime, Manresa has been staffed similarly to the on-campus resident halls, and a shuttle has been transporting the students living there to the Busch Student Center so that they can attend class.
This year, freshmen room assignments were sent out later than usual. They were not processed until after the last SLU 101 session on July 9 in order to accommodate special rooming requests.
“They were sent out as planned due to accommodating Learning Community, [First-Year Interest Group] requests, roommate requests, etc.” said Aldrich.
In addition to alleviating an immediate housing shortage for SLU students, Housing and Res Life is also adjusting to changes in its own department leadership.
Alvin  Sturdivant, last  year’s director of Housing and Res Life, is  not returning to SLU this fall. According to Aldrich, he accepted an Assistant Vice President position in Student Development at Seattle University.
A committee is being formed this fall to conduct a national search for a new candidate to fill his former position.
Applicants will begin coming to campus in September and October.
Dean Smith stated that Housing and Residence Life posted the position a month ago and has received several responses. Candidate screening will start soon.
“Alvin did a wonderful job and I wish him well at Seattle University. He did good things for us,” said Smith, “We hope for three strong, viable candidates to bring to campus and choose from by the first of October.”
Smith also mentioned that both he and Housing and Res Life are making student input in the search process a priority.
“We will definitely want the Student Government Association’s and the Residence Hall Association’s input and thoughts.”