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Almost half of students in triples opt to keep rooms By RHYS HEYDEN
Eagle Contributing Writer
FELICIA AFUAN / THE EAGLE
THREE’S A CROWD? — Students often end up staying in their triples because of money saved and friends made, according to Director of Housing and Dining Chris Moody.
Students staying in triples
675 students started in triples
320
in triples as of Nov. 2
33%
‘02 – ‘07
40% ‘08
50% ‘09
Consumer Report: Housing By MEG FOWLER Eagle Staff Writer
As AU students turn in applications by the Nov. 15 deadline for an on-campus housing spot next semester, the college news website Campus Grotto reported that AU is among the top 20 schools with the most expensive housing in the country. AU ranked 16th in Campus Grotto’s Top 20 list of “Most Expensive College Dorms for 2010-2011.” Private colleges’ room and board prices increased by 3.9 percent on average in the 2010-2011 academic year, with an average cost of $9,700, Campus Grotto reported. AU’s average yearly cost for room and board is $13,430, according to the site. Here are this year’s per-
person costs for housing from the AU Housing and Dining website:
Medium to Large onebedroom: !"$5,656 per semester
Single-occupancy rooms: !"$5,656 per semester
Other considerations There are spots for 115 students in Nebraska Hall, and there are 100 apartments in the Berkshire Apartments sponsored by AU Housing and Dining. Each apartment houses two students and comes fully furnished. These apartments’ prices have been lowered so that students can manage their own cable and Internet.
Single-occupancy rooms in Centennial Hall: !"$6,605 per semester Double-occupancy rooms in: Nebraska Apartments, Centennial, Anderson, Hughes, Leonard, Letts and McDowell Halls: !"$4,509 per semester Triple-occupancy rooms: !"$3,295 per semester Double-occupancy rooms in AU Housing at the Berks: Studio: !"$4,509 per semester Small one-bedroom: !"$4,960 per semester
Living off campus The allure of leaving behind a cramped dorm room and shower sandals attracts many college students to offcampus housing. Two places to live off campus and near AU include the Berkshire Apartments and the Avalon at Foxhall.
The Berkshire Apartments offer students the choice to set up an agreement with the leasing office through the complex instead of through AU Housing and Dining. The Berkshire Apartments advertise that all utilities are included in rent costs, and prices range from $1259$2895 per month. The Avalon at Foxhall is another popular place for AU students to live and is often referred to as “up-scale” college living. These apartments come unfurnished, and no utilities are included in the monthly rent. The prices are advertised on the Avalon website range from $1750-$2645 per month. Caitlin Soto contributed to this report. mfowler@theeagleonline. com
Approximately 300 students will remain in tripled dorms next semester, and that number is less than half of the number of students that started the year in triples. This fall, AU opened its residence halls with about 675 students in triples, largely freshmen, according to Chris Moody, executive director of Housing and Dining Programs. As of Nov. 2, there are still approximately 320 freshmen living in triples on main campus. All involuntarily tripled students were given two opportunities: to de-triple into their original residence halls or to de-triple into Clark Hall. Around 35 de-tripled students moved into Clark. Because all of its residents come from different halls on campus, there is concern about the strength of Clark Hall’s new community, according to Assistant Director of Operations for Facilities and Vendor Services Sophia Benedicktus. “I think it’s harder [to build a community in Clark] when you’re just de-tripling students from Letts or McDowell or Leonard and putting them in a new, smaller building,” Benedicktus said. There is no formal lounge in Clark, and Roper Hall has had problems with plumbing and the card readers on its washing machines. The number of students who want to stay in triples has generally increased every year for the past 10 years, according to Moody. From 2000 to 2007, the University expected roughly one-third of students to stay in triples. In 2008 about 40 percent
stayed, and last year it was 50 percent. Moody said all of these triples are intact by choice. Students frequently start out opposed to the idea of a triple, but often discover the rooms are not as bad as they thought, he said. Moody believes triples have positive economic and social benefits. Many students say they are content with triples. “Either it’s a good economical option for students and families … or students are just happy [with the triples],” said Moody. Triple-occupancy rooms cost $3,295 per person each semester this year, compared with $4,509 per person each semester in a double-occupancy room, according to the Housing and Dining website. These rates apply to all residence halls other than Nebraska Hall, which has a higher rate. Tripling is becoming a common phenomenon at many academic institutions where living space has become increasingly limited, according to Benedicktus. Benedicktus also feels that triple rooms can have a positive effect on students’ experiences with their roommates. “I think that there’s something to be said for having a third person in the space because you’re able to change up the [social] dynamic a bit,” she said. Anastasia Crittenton, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, started off the year in a double room, but a third person moved into her room in late September. “Sometimes you can get lucky with three people, but there’s always the danger of having a third wheel,” she said. news@theeagleonline.com