Story co-produced with Kaitlyn Akers
Western Carolina University is returning to mandatory campus living for first and second-year students after allowing them to live off-campus for the past few years.
The university has decided to crack down on policy 96 for the 2022-23 academic year because “success rates are higher for students who stay on campus for their first and second years,” Annaleise Camacho, Director of Residence Life at WCU, said.
This strict enforcement of the policy caused some frustrations among students.
The shiny new additions to Western’s campus are Water Rock Hall, Shining Rock Hall and Black Rock Hall. The halls will open for the start of Fall 2022. They have 400 beds for students to live on campus.
They are reserved for freshmen and sophomores only. The prices for residential living in these halls have not yet been disclosed.
Sophomores will also live in Harrill Hall, Norton Road Hall and Reynolds Hall. The price for the cheapest double room is $3,090 in Harrill per semester. The cost per semester for a private room in Norton Road is $3,597 or $3,583 in Reynolds.
Upper-class and graduate students can still live on campus.
The options for upperclassmen and graduate students living on campus are Allen Hall, Balsam Hall (honors only), Blue Bridge Hall, Buchanan Hall, Judaculla Hall, Madison Hall, Noble Hall and Robertson Hall. Prices for a double room range from $2,350 in Buchanan to $3,503 in Balsam, Blue Ridge or Noble. A private room costs anywhere from $3,300 in Buchanan to $4,037 in Balsam, Blue Ridge or Noble.
Madison Hall will no longer be utilized as COVID isolation space as it was in the past two years. The 3rd and 4th floors will be used for upperclassmen. The 1st and 2nd floor will be used for conference meetings but have yet to be determined.
Western’s campus has a total of 4,500 beds for residential students. Only approximately 3,200 beds were used during the fall 2021 semester and less than 3,000 are occupied during the spring 2022 semester. The slight drop from fall to spring is normal in universities because of students graduating in the fall semester and moving out and students choosing not to return after winter break.
Camacho says the bed occupancy is expected to not reach capacity, even with the new enforcement of policy 96.
Residential Living anticipates for the residential population to not increase in the fall 2022 semester.
Since 2007, policy 96 states that first-year students are required to live on campus for their first four semesters. As for transfer students, those who have been out of high school for less than a year must also live on campus.
Students who are living on campus as of Spring 2022 need to be moved out by end of the day on May 6 for summer cleaning.
For more information, visit the Residential Living page here.
