From dorms to villages: how an increasing student body is impacting housing

ATHENS, Ga -- Since 2011, the University of Georgia has experienced significant increases in student applications, acceptances and enrollments, while at the same time, on-campus housing is constantly having to compensate for the ever-growing student population.

“We’re expecting just under 30,000 freshmen applicants this year,” said David Graves, senior associate director of Undergraduate Admissions. “[Admissions are] going to become more and more competitive, as there [has to be] a certain point where we say we need to stop growing.”

Furthermore, Graves also expressed the need to raise transfer-admissions standards, saying that while there is a control over the freshman population, there isn’t much control in other areas of student admissions. As a result, not only do freshman populations tend to become increasingly larger, but the remaining three classes are as well because of transfer-student admissions.

Amanda Sale is the senior associative director over marketing and admissions, and acknowledged the issue of an ever-increasing student body at UGA.

“We’ve seen a constant increase in applications and the caliber of the students who are applying,” said Sale. “While there are many factors, we believe the HOPE scholarship plays a large role in keeping highly qualified students in the state of Georgia for higher education.”

UGA is not the only university to be experiencing such spikes in enrollment. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, total undergraduate enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions increased by 28 percent between 2000 and 2016. By 2027, it is projected that total undergraduate enrollment will increase to 17.4 million students, as compared to 13.2 million in 2000.

As a result, dorms on UGA’s campus are maxing out their capacities, which, in recent years, has forced University Housing to allot extra space for the students who are unable to fit in the typical dorms offered.

According to the UGA Fact Book, in 2011, an occupancy of 9,571 students were dispersed among a total of 85 buildings, all of which catered to an enrollment of 5,517 freshmen who, in accordance with UGA policy, are required to live on campus during their first year. This differs drastically from 2017, which had a 1.7% increase in total occupancy among 94 buildings and a 5.3% increase in undergraduate freshmen enrollment. Given this ever-increasing trend from 2011 to 2017, more and more freshmen students are having to be placed into on-campus housing.

“[University Housing] has a dynamic and effective relationship with Undergraduate Admissions that focuses on providing a positive experience for first year students,” said Stan Jackson, director of student affairs communications and marketing initiatives. “Continuing communication and collaborative strategies with the university allow us to support enrollment goals.”

For many, this has resulted in being moved into what is called University Village (UV), a collection of apartments located off East Campus Road. While the apartments offer amenities such as a personal kitchen and living space for the roommates residing within them, the distance from campus has created problems for those living there.

While University Housing does guarantee on-campus spaces for all first-year students, not all students report a “positive experience.”

“I didn’t like living in UV because the social life was a lot different than the normal dorms,” said Michael Pannell, a sophomore exercise sports science major from Valdosta. “I met very few people and did not get the best freshman year experience.”

Another issue many students experience is the lack of buses that come to University Village, making socializing and reaching classes significantly more difficult.

“The bus system for UV was horrible,” said Cameron Oglesby, a sophomore biology and political science major from Valdosta. “They came every 15-30 minutes. I felt very disconnected from the campus itself which was rather bothersome at times.”

Allison Reid, a sophomore criminal-justice and international affairs major from Canton, also experienced similar frustrations.

“The transportation was an issue because we typically had to get on a bus 30-45 minutes before a class started so we could make it in time,“ said Reid. “[Many] only had one bus to come pick them up. I knew this was a huge issue because it came less frequently than other buses.”

Furthermore, Pannell, Oglesby and Reid all made separate mentions on the poor upkeep and sanitation of University Village during their stay, with issues such as poor plumbing, molding carpet and unsatisfactory maintenance response being common themes. In all final remarks, there was a distinct agreement that changes must be made in regards to housing.

“I think that an increasing student body calls for increasing housing capabilities,” said Reid. “If the university is going to continue to allow more and more students in, they need to devote more resources to housing.”

Source List:

Amanda Sale: askamanda@uga.edu

David Graves: drgraves@uga.edu

Stan Jackson: 706-542-1793

Cameron Oglesby: 229-506-3014

Allison Reid: allison.reid@uga.edu

Michael Pannell: michael.pannell@uga.edu