55 students evicted during fall semester
Even though it's spring semester, studio art sophomore Mandy Ehrlich, who came to the UA in the fall, has just met her new roommate and moved into Coronado Residence Hall.
Ehrlich is one of several UA students who were able to transfer dorms this semester because other students were evicted or moved out of their dorms.
Last semester the dorms were at capacity, with about 23 students living with their resident assistants, who typically live alone. These students were reassigned to different rooms after vacancies opened up.
Ehrlich said she wanted to move out of her room in Apache/Santa Cruz Residence Hall because most of her friends live in Coronado.
"I liked my roommate (in Apache/Santa Cruz)," she said. " It's just the way the dorm was set up, it was pretty isolated and hard to meet people."
Ehrlich said she requested a transfer to Coronado about three months ago, and was told last week she'd be able to move.
Science Education freshman Rachel Hochberg, Ehrlich's new roommate, said her previous roommate moved down the hall after another resident moved out.
She said having a new roommate is like starting all over again and said three people in her wing were without roommates at the beginning of the semester.
Jim Van Arsdel, director of Residence Life, said he did not know exactly how many vacancies there are in the dorms, but said the number is not significant.
Usually only students who transfer to a different school, drop out or are evicted leave the dorms early, Van Arsdel said.
Most years, between 30 and 40 students are evicted per semester, he said.
Last semester 55 students were evicted from the dorms for violating code of conduct policies. Most the evictions were for drug or alcohol violations, he said.
A few new UA students move into the dorms, but usually the vacancies left by students who move out are filled by transfers between dorms.
Every hall has a transfer list, and some have more than 60 students on them, Van Arsdel said. Most students want to transfer to newer dorms or dorms with suites, he said.
If Residence Life is able to get through the transfer list, it will begin offering guaranteed singles at an increased cost to students who want them.
Van Arsdel said it is unlikely all of the vacancies will be filled because many students who were once on a waiting list to get into the dorms have already found other places to live.
The summer waiting list of students trying to get into the dorms last fall grew to about 300. Residence Life was able to offer housing to about 70 students on the waiting list and the rest were told they had to make different arrangements.
Last fall's waiting list was large considering that in the previous year the dorms had opened with vacancies, but Van Arsdel said Residence Life has asked students to live with RAs or in converted study halls in years past.
It is not unusual for residence halls to be completely full in the fall and have vacancies in the spring, he said.
"People began leaving campus within the first two days," he said. "But most leave at the semester break."
Students sign a contract when moving into the dorms saying they will be there for the full academic year, and there is a financial disincentive for students to move out at the semester break.