HRL to grant 100 sophomores exemption to residency requirements

Housing and Residence Life informed students Monday that 100 sophomores will be permitted to live off campus for the 2010-11 school year, bypassing the usual sophomore residency requirement.

In an e-mail to freshmen, Senior Housing Coordinator Veronica Marquez said, “We anticipate that there will be a waiting list [for on-campus housing placement] again this spring after housing selection.”

To reduce the number of students placed on a wait list, HRL would “consider the first 100 student requests for exemption to the sophomore residency requirement,” Marquez said.

Marquez said students can request exemptions for financial reasons, to live with fraternity or sorority members or if parents request it for “lifestyle reasons.”

Students must complete a residency exemption form and submit an e-mail from a parent or guardian requesting an exemption by March 8 to be considered.

Freshman Max Gropper said he was planning to apply for an exemption to live off campus next year with older fraternity brothers.

“They’re some of my best friends, and living in the dorms doesn’t seem as conducive to my study habits,” Gropper said. “People can just knock on my door and distract me.”

Gropper said he was waiting to ensure his housing for next year and then will apply for the exemption.

“I’m trying to make sure I have somewhere to live,” he said. “The only thing that would make me [live on campus next year] would be having my housing fall through or if I get put on the wait list.”

Marquez said that the decision was triggered by anticipation of another large incoming freshman class for 2010-11 and the return of the large class of current freshmen.

“It’s a good problem to have,” Marquez said. “It’s great for the university, but we can only house so many. We’re trying to manage the large class with the amount of housing we have. It’s a delicate balance. We’re trying to accommodate everyone and be proactive.”

Freshman Ali Milloy said she would remain on campus next year but thought the exemption was popular.

“I only know of guys who are planning to live off campus with fraternities, but it’s a surprising amount who want to do that,” she said.

Marquez said she was pleased with the response from students thus far.

“It hasn’t been overwhelming, but we’ve had a good response so far and people still do have time to apply,” she said.

In addition to the new exemption for some freshmen, many sophomores and juniors have begun looking for off-campus housing recently.

Sophomore Pallavi Sud started to look for housing early and already found her home for next year.

“We had no problems finding [our house],” Sud said. “It only took us a couple weeks but we started looking in January.”

Local realtor Craig Tolbert said that he has noticed more students looking for off-campus housing.

“There’s just more demand this year… with the huge class of sophomores,” Tolbert said. “It’s a better market for the landlord. We don’t have the vacancies [in houses and apartments] we had last year.”