Living and learning

Ran on Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Living and learning
Regional universities avoid UW-Madison housing crunch

By Keighla Schmidt
Leader-Telegram staff

What's often viewed as a fundamental component of college life — the dormitories — is being denied to some students in Wisconsin.

Large universities such as UW-Madison are turning away hundreds of students requesting housing each year.

School officials at UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stout and UW-River Falls say they have a place for anyone looking for a dorm room.

The difference is in the numbers.

UW-Madison had 29,639 undergraduate students enrolled in fall 2006, with 7,237 beds available. UW-Eau Claire had 10,152 undergraduates and about 4,000 beds available, UW-Stout had 7,517 undergraduates and room for about 3,000 on campus while UW-River Falls had 5,753 undergraduates for the 2,400 wanting to live in the dorms in the fall 2006 semester.

Housing officials from the three Chippewa Valley schools said no students have been turned away for housing this year.

The philosophy at UW-Eau Claire is that any student who wants university housing won't be put on a waiting list, said Chuck Majors, director of housing and residence life.

For the first time in about 12 years, UW-Eau Claire's overflow won't force students to stay in motels.

"We're in good shape," Majors said.

About 80 of the 4,000 students who live on campus will be in the dormitory study lounges at the beginning of the fall semester.

The situation is slightly more cramped in River Falls.

West Area Coordinator Jason Nuehaus said about 200 students will be packed into the university's 10 student housing buildings. Some will have as many as six people to a room.

In an effort to get more students in, both universities have built new buildings to house their undergraduates.

At UW-Eau Claire, Chancellors Hall was built in 2000 and has apartment-style housing for 324 students. In 2005 UW-River Falls opened South Fork Suites, adding 240 beds in suites. UW-River Falls is awaiting the state budget to pass for clearance to build an addition to the suites.

At UW-Stout, housing is going in the opposite direction. Plans are in the works to tear down the oldest housing building, Geter-Tainter-Callahan hall, in favor of a new dining facility in 2010.

There are a few extra rooms for the 3,000 students living on campus in the 10 dormitory buildings, said Scott Griesbach, UW-Stout's housing director.

"We'll be reducing housing to 2,700," Griesbach said. "We're not planning to build any more housing buildings."

The campus added a suites building in 2005 for 296 students.