UIndy struggles to find a solution for residence hall overcrowding
By Adrian Kendrick
Feature Editor
The University of Indianapolis expected to build a new residence hall in 2008, but that campus development is being delayed.
UIndy had anticipated that an outside contractor would build the new residence hall, but the discussions did not go far and an agreement was not reached, said Executive Director of Communications and Marketing Mary Atteberry.
“We decided not to count on an outside contractor, and we are looking into constructing our own residence hall,” she said. “That has unfortunately delayed when we can get one in place.”
According to President Beverley Pitts, the university currently does not have plans for a residence hall, but there are plans to open one in the fall of 2009.
“We were working with College Crossing to form a partnership with them to build housing, but that partnership did not work,” Pitts said. “So now we will build the residence hall the way we want to fit our whole housing plan.”
Residence halls have been overcrowded this year, but that problem cannot be solved until the new dorm is built.
According to Atteberry, all UIndy can do is try to find a solution to the overcrowding situation if it develops next year.
“We are going to try everything we can to make it work, like we have done this year, and obviously be careful about the reservations we take for residence halls,” she said.
According to Pitts, a lot of students want to live on campus, and UIndy wants to make sure that the freshmen who want to live on campus are able to. UIndy also wants to let students know in a timely manner if they are not able to live on campus, so that they can find available housing in time.
“Our goal is always to have residence halls full but to also have enough housing,” Pitts said. “A lot more students want to live on campus than before. So it’ll take a little bit of time to make sure we meet demand, especially with the students that request early.”
According to Pitts, the university currently is trying to find a way to fund a new residence hall, developing designs and working with Student Affairs to keep a time line on the project so UIndy can be sure to have enough housing by the fall of 2009.
If money is borrowed to complete the project, the money would be paid back through room fees and other costs that UIndy will charge students, Braughton said.
Dean of Students Kory Vitangeli is working with students to get ideas and to find out the best use of space in order to provide the best kind of housing for students, Pitts said.
The last residence hall built at UIndy was Central Hall. It was opened in 2001 cost about $8 million.
Braughton said that because of inflation, a residence hall similer to Central Hall could be as much as $10 million by the time UIndy begins building.
The residence hall’s new location is being considered between Warren and Cravens Hall, where a parking lot currently exists.
“We are thinking that would be the perfect community thing. Maybe we can have all three residence halls connected by a covered walkway,” Braughton said. “That is the direction we are headed.”
