Residence Life and Housing has decided to close two floors in Gillette and one additional floor in Roth for the 2014-2015 school year. The floors to be closed are fourth main and old in Gillette and fourth west in Roth, which is cut in addition to the first floor in Roth closed at the beginning of this year.
The decision to close three floors was made “in response to a low enrollment figure for the current year,” said Marc Smithers, Director of Residence Life and Housing, and the closures are not an indicator of lower enrollment for the upcoming year.
Another reason for the decision was on the basis of the fact that there was “so much empty space in the residence halls,” said Smithers, leading to concerns about proper stewardship of the buildings. The closures should cut maintenance and custodial upkeep costs for the residence halls and will save heating and insulation expenses. In addition, three RA positions will no longer be required for the closed floors.
Smithers noted the positives, “Instead of cutting things, we’re pushing things together… It’s a way to save money, but we’re not getting rid of anything.” In addition, Smithers stated that too many empty rooms in a hall could be demoralizing to residents, in which case a more compact dorm could have its advantages.
The move could potentially affect current residents on the floors who would be hoping to “squat” their rooms for the next year. Smithers said that Residence Life and Housing is aware of this potential issue and thinking of appropriate solutions, though they have not arrived at an answer yet.
The floors will not be closed indefinitely and, according to Smithers, are expected to be reopened for the 2015-2016 school year.