Growing enrollments affects on campus living

Due to the steadily increasing enrollment rate of each freshmen class, more and more issues on the University of Mississippi campus continue to come to light. We have come across the issue of parking/transportation, Greek Life, classroom areas, dining and now housing conflicts.

With the upcoming freshmen class maintaining it’s size, it has taken over all on-campus housing options previously offered to sophomores and juniors.

Traditional all girls freshmen dorm, Martin Hall.

I spoke with freshman Ole Miss Opportunity Scholar, Mary Beth Maloney. She currently lives in Martin Hall, and due to her scholarship, she is required to live on-campus for four consecutive years. “When I received this scholarship, I was glad to oblige by this weird rule until they announced that, Crosby, a residence hall typically housing sophomore girls, was now limited to freshmen only due to the increasing enrollment of their class,” says Maloney.

Maloney claims that she was going to live in Crosby next year with friends she had made in her sorority, but now she is having to reside in Northgate with “three complete strangers with no control over the situation.”

Like many other students attending college on scholarships, she cannot afford to lose her scholarship. She says, “I know I have to comply with what the university wants, but they have barely tried to work with people like me to make their college experience the best it could be.”

Part of the reason believed to make enrollments at schools like Ole Miss sky rocket is that other schools around Georgia and Texas do not accept their in state students. The majority of their student body is made up of people from different places. Ole Miss has one of the cheapest out of state tuitions across the nation, so it’s usually a top pick for people living around the SEC region.

Is it fair to let upcoming classes control the future of the universities current students? Many would say no. It comes down to the room our campus can provide for everyone. Having Ole Miss grow each year would be great if there was enough room to equally take care of everyone in a traditional fashion.

Junior RA Kristin Hodges explains how the university plans to handle the growing enrollment. She claims that with each year and the new changes the increases bring, conflicts seem to increase also. “They’re trying their hardest to come up with a solution to make everyone happy,” says Hodges. “But when you’re talking about thousands of people, there’s really no telling when that solution is going to come around.”

Large number of apartment complexes evidence of growing university enrollment.

A worker paints the window sill of the common area at University Trails.  The housing complex is transforming the area from a lounge area into more of a study room.

If you have walked by the union in the past semester, you have probably been bombarded by the housing booths that were set up both outside and inside.  For many freshman, the housing fairs were their first introduction to how many choices for places to live there are.

With over twenty apartment complexes and other small townhouse type establishments, students really have their work cut out for them. 

According to Holden Hays, a freshman psychology major, choosing somewhere to live the next year is frightening yet rewarding.

“It’s scary.  It takes a long time and the University just kind of thrusts you out in the open.  If you don’t pay attention to timing you can end up without somewhere to live.”  Hays said.

Other students were displaced because of the incident with Crosby Hall.

With next year’s freshman class once again being the largest in university history, all available campus housing was needed to accommodate the incoming class.

I sat down with freshman Brenna Ferrell to talk about how that affected her and what she thinks it means about the growth at Ole Miss.

For Wayne Pierce, president of Heritage Properties, the housing game has changed a lot since he was a student in the early ‘80s.

“The market certainly has changed, we saw the addition of some 2000 beds and they all got absorbed which surprised us.”  Pierce said.

According to Pierce, because of the results from the addition of beds, Heritage Properties decided to renovate their current properties as well as join on the building.

Chuck Jenkins, an Oxford resident and co-manager of two rental properties, agrees that housing has changed a lot.

“I only lived off campus one semester out of my eight.  This was partly because there weren’t many off campus apartments but also because the standard of living of students has changed,”  Jenkins said.

Jenkins also believes that the number of off-campus apartments are not a good thing.

“Students seem unwilling to live in the concrete block rooms we lived in.  It is sort of an arms race between the universities and communities to attract students.  I think they are trying to attract students by raising the prestige and attractiveness of living arrangements which is in turn driving up the cost of tuition.”

“Most of all it shows we don’t have enough on campus housing that so many almost resort like complexes can fill up,” Hays said.

Freshman Gage Adam weighs in with his thoughts on the issue.

Ole Miss' Growing Population Concerns

The University of Mississippi is titleholder as not only the flagship university for the state, but also as the largest. This past school year alone the University registered a record breaking number of students totaling over 22,000 across all of the campuses. This is the University’s 19^th consecutive year to have increased student enrollment pulling a shocking 3.5% increase in enrollment, while many colleges are facing a decline in enrollment nationwide. The dramatic addition of students reflects just how prominent the University is and how strong their schools and programs are becoming.

            Not only is the University getting bigger, but it is also getting smarter and more diverse. This year’s freshman had a higher overall high school GPA than last fall and a record breaking average ACT score of 24.1. The minority enrollment is sitting at about 24% and around one third of the freshman class this year is from out of state. “I like that there will be a more diverse student body,” noted junior athletic department staff member Gabbi Rossi. The retention rate of freshman to sophomores is what proves that a school really excels and Ole Miss is no exception with near 81% of the students returning.

            While the increase of members in the student body is impressive, unfortunately the extra amount of people does have its drawbacks. The campus currently cannot sustain the spatial demand of prospective students and campus renovations are no quick task. Recently, the University announced that it would be converting the female sophomore dorm of Crosby into an all freshman dorm to be able to house all first year students on campus.

The large number of students makes move in long and difficult.

“I think that there are positives and negatives to having a greater incoming class,” Rossi, “I think that it’s hard for housing especially with Crosby being turned into a freshman dorm.”

            Additional campus preparations for the growing student body include the renovations off Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and the Indoor Practice Facility as well as a $3 million project to expand the Student Union.

            The University of Mississippi is known as being the smallest of the SEC schools, which appeals to many prospective students who are looking for a college town that’s equipped with a exciting atmosphere but staying true to the charm of a small Southern town. “Once I visited the campus I knew this was the place for me,” says sophomore athletic department staff member Alane Parris, “The action of the SEC plus the hospitality and history of Oxford was very alluring. I just hope that it doesn’t urbanize to fit the growing population.”

More staff members thoughts here

Record-Breaking Enrollment at Ole Miss has its Downsides

As Ole Miss's population continues to skyrocket, the University is now faced with entirely new sets of challenges in order to accommodate every student.

Students walking through the campus as finals week wraps up

We all know very well how the Grove and culture at Ole Miss is a major attraction for any student who ultimately chooses to enroll. Almost too well. With the growing student population that has soared through the record books comes an entirely new set of challenges for on-campus living. The growing student population has become evident with the new policies the University has had to implement, which includes only allowing freshman to live in the limited dormitory space that is available on-campus. 

Facebook Link- Ishmael Miller discusses the changes that have been made for on-campus living

This had forced some Greek communities (who use to rely on buildings such as Brown and Crosby) to find apartment complexes that are willing to sign last-minute leases for upper classmen. However, the solutions to house the influx of international students participating in the exchange program have not been as easy.   

"Most apartment complexes require signing a year-long-lease and some require a credit history which someone new to the U.S isn't likely to have." said Jean Robinson, the Assistant Director for the Office of International Programs. "The year-long-lease is a problem for exchange and Intensive English students who maybe aren't going to be here that long."

With these legal issues posing as a major barrier for next semester's exchange students, this requires the Study Abroad and IEP offices to make special arrangements with apartment complexes. This also poses underlying issues that include transportation to campus. Because international students are less likely to own a car, it is important for them to live closer to campus in order to make it more convenient to walk or bike to their classes, not to mention living near the O.U.T transportation routes. 

“For students who are usually not able to visit the campus prior to their arrival to begin classes, it can be difficult to navigate the choices.” said Robinson. Robinson also pointed out that having to group all of the international students together in one apartment complex takes away from the exchange students getting the experience of living among American students, and the off-campus living makes it more difficult to take part in the educational and social events that are held at night. 

The issues with housing that the international community is experiencing is one of many drawbacks to the increasing student population at Ole Miss. With housing for both American and foreign students being a huge issue, the University is currently working to find solutions in order to accommodate all students and their needs. 

Facebook Link

Increasing Enrollement at Ole Miss causes conflict with scheduling classes

Academic advsior, Jon Nance, helps a student with his scheduling for the upcoming 2014 Fall semester.



The enrollment of Ole Miss is steadily growing. Proof of this is problems with limited parking on campus to building new dorms for incoming freshman.

A negative aspect of the increasing enrollment of Ole Miss is the process of registering for classes. There is a limited amount of classes and class times for certain classes. Because of the increasing enrollment students have a harder time getting certain classes when they need them and the time they want to take them. Some teachers do not have enough classes to accommodate all students.

Antwain Smith (An-twon) is a freshman at Ole Miss majoring in business. He says there is a big difference from when he registered for classes in the fall and when he registered in the spring. Registering for fall classes was pretty easy. Registering for spring classes was different. When his window opened at 4 p.m. two of the classes he needed had already reached its full capacity. He admits that the process frustrates him.

To fix this problem, teachers should open more sections to accommodate students. There are people at Ole Miss on various agendas. Ole Miss has students who are in athletics. There are also students that are considered part-time students. There are not enough flexible professors to help this problem. 

Dameon Morgan (Day-me-on) is a junior at Ole Miss majoring in general studies. He is on the men’s top 12-ranked track team. Morgan says although he gets the advantage to register for classes early he still faces some problems. He says it is a hard time finding classes that will not conflict with his practice times. The classes he needs for his major do not offer enough sections. He says this problem almost caused him to change his major.

I spoke with a staff member who works with the athletics at Ole Miss, Justin Light, to find out his thoughts in the registration and scheduling process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhZZlf8cOSA&index=15&list=WL

He also agreed there needs to be more flexibility from the teachers to make more class sections.  

He says if the students enrollment is growing, the faculty and staff need to grow as well. There are too many full and waitlisted classes and not enough open sections.

In the past years, Ole Miss has received 55-percent more freshman applications and it is steadily growing.

Registration and scheduling classes is very important here on campus. It starts with the Ole Miss teachers to fix this problem. Student enrollment is steadily growing.

 

Greek women scramble to find new places to live

The University of Mississippi and the city of Oxford as a whole are expanding. From new classes to construction all over the city, students and citizens are preparing for a rapid boom in enrollment at the University. But while numbers for incoming freshman students at Ole Miss is on the rise, many incoming sophomores are dubbing themselves "homeless", and for valid reason.

The University has had to make quick and extreme decisions over the past year to prepare for the record-breaking numbers, which includes changes in on-campus housing. Particularly for incoming sophomore girls who are part of the Greek system, the change in the housing situation has been sudden, drastic, and frustrating.

Living in an on-campus dorm is required of all freshman students, but many sophomores took advantage of the additional space to spend one more year in an on campus building. Although many housing options were already freshman-exclusive, there was one building where nearly all sophomore Greek women lived: Crosby Hall.

Crosby, which sits at the bottom of Women’s Terrace near the Student Union, has previously housed sophomore women in the Greek system. Each organization had its own floor where its members lived, creating a strong community for its members. For many, including freshman Pi Beta Phi member Mavis Bushelman, the opportunity to live in Crosby Hall was more than just a convenience.

“Living on campus next year would have been extremely convenient and a great way to bond with our large pledge class. The living situation was very abrupt and the way that we were informed was not handled very well by the University.”

The dorm will now be an exclusively freshman women dorm, joining dorms like Hefley and Martin to house the record-breaking large incoming class. The sophomore sorority women are now left with very few on-campus options.

The opportunity to live in the house of each sorority is up to the discretion of each organization, but even the university is doing very little to accommodate these “homeless” women. With minimal options that took away the sense of community Crosby had previously offered, these Greek sophomores were left scrambling to sign leases for off-campus apartments.

The changes took many by surprise, from students to sorority members to even parents and family members. The main reaction, however, seemed to be disappointment over the new change.

Jennifer McClure, Assistant Director for Marketing for the University of Mississippi Housing Department, acknowledges the frustration many people are feeling over the change.

Numbers for future freshman classes are expected to continue to rise in years to come, prompting more construction of new dorms, more housing changes, and more Greek women scrambling for a place to live. 

Increased enrollment causes housing dilemma at Ole Miss

Two of Crosby's residents pack up remaining items from their dorm rooms as summer quickly approaches. 

Cheering “Hotty Toddy,” wearing red and blue on game days and walking the green grass of the Grove are just a few reasons the projected number of incoming freshmen is expected to soar during the 2014-2015 academic year.  Some upperclassmen, however, might not be ready to jump on the welcome wagon just yet. 

While a majority of student housing was previously open to upperclassmen, the increased enrollment of freshmen has caused frenzy in the housing department.  Next year, only the Luckyday Residential College and the Residential College South will offer housing on campus for upperclassmen.  Crosby, a traditional dorm that held upperclassmen this year, will only house freshmen.  

I sat down with Kaylynn Gaines, a Community Assistant in Crosby Hall, to find out how much housing workers think the increased enrollment will affect upperclassmen.

Crosby residents were told during the second semester that they would not be able to live in Crosby next year, which caused concern for some residents.  Many sororities on campus require their members to live together for a certain number of years.  This was a problem for Elizabeth Hathorne and her Delta Gamma sister, Kristen Tucker.  Both thought they would be able to live together on a “sorority hall” in Crosby next year.   

Just as Ole Miss requires early applications for housing, Oxford apartment owners expect tenants to sign early leases.  Many students were able to make plans for next year’s housing during this past year's fall semester.  The housing department’s lack of consideration has caused Crosby residents to scramble to find apartments to match their budgets.  

According to Gaines, the housing department tried to make the move as easy as possible for the students. 

All upperclassmen do not see this effort by the housing department.  Moving off campus will not only impact them financially but also socially.  The amount of time spent waiting on long bus routes, finding a parking spot or walking from their apartments could be spent on campus involvement.   

“It’s a lot more inconvenient because I’m going to have to sit around campus waiting for my meetings now and take the buses,” says Tucker.

While the Ole Miss housing department claims to have made the transition easier for students, many students are still upset with how the situation was handled.

“I was paying for an experience on campus, not just the place. I was looking forward to getting to know people and now I can’t.  I’m more mad than anything about how it was handled,” says Hathorne.

Sources: Kristen Tucker: kbtucker@go.olemiss.edu
Elizabeth Hathorne: elhathor@go.olemiss.edu
Kaylynn Gaines:  kdgaines@go.olemiss.edu