FAYETTEVILLE -- A total of 174 students expected to arrive for move-in at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville had no permanent room assignment as of Thursday, a UA spokesman said.
But the total signed housing contracts, 5,722, is less than UA's 5,732-bed capacity, said Billy Blount, director of administrative services for UA's housing department. With last-minute demand and other considerations, such as the gender of arrivals, it's still possible that some may start the year living in converted study rooms, he said.
The group without permanent assignments includes students who signed contracts recently and were not allowed by UA to pick their choice of residences.
"We do this to help manage our inventory of spaces," UA spokesman Christopher Spencer said.
The university's official move-in began Thursday. Fall classes start Aug. 22.
Students will see renovations in many residence halls -- including laundry machines able to alert students by phone when their wash is done -- as the university continues to weigh options for new housing.
UA expects its largest freshman class ever, an estimated 5,150 first-year students, according to an email Thursday from Suzanne McCray, the university's vice provost for enrollment and dean of admissions. Last September, UA counted 4,915 degree-seeking freshmen. Most freshmen must live on campus.
In 2013, UA opened two residences, adding about 630 beds. No new housing has been built since then, and, from fall 2013 to fall 2015, UA's undergraduate population increased by about 1,100 students. UA counted 22,159 undergraduates as of last fall, up from 21,009 two years earlier.
UA's top housing and finance officials in July briefed Chancellor Joe Steinmetz on student housing. Steinmetz, the university's top leader since Jan. 1, heard "an analysis of costs and benefits of adding new residence halls," Laura Jacobs, chief-of-staff for Steinmetz, said in an email.
She said no decisions have been made about new housing.
Planning documents from 2006 and 2013 include details on potential options for new construction, including an area east of Bud Walton Arena. In May, UA System trustees approved the Fayetteville campus' purchase of three properties in that area at a price of about $868,000. At least one property sale has taken place for $285,000, according to county records.
The past two years, students have begun the year in temporary housing assignments because of a lack of space. In the past, UA has also made use of hotel lodgings to accommodate students.
On the first day of classes last fall, 72 students were in temporary housing of some sort, Blount said at the time.
He declined to compare this year to the last fall move-in, emphasizing the fluid nature of the housing process.
As of Wednesday, out of the total signed housing contracts, 4,620 are for freshmen. The total also includes 983 returning students and 119 transfers.
Freshmen staying with parents near UA may live off campus. The freshman residency requirement also does not apply to any first-year students 21 or older. Students citing significant financial need can also request a waiver, but must show proof that off-campus living is significantly less expensive than UA housing.
UA System trustees in May approved increases in room rates for double-occupancy rooms. The yearly rate increased by $310 for a double-occupancy room in Gladson-Ripley, the least expensive coed dormitory. A room there costs $5,482 per academic year, not including any meal plan, a 6 percent increase compared to 2015-16.
Most UA residence halls are open to students of any gender, but UA has three women-only residences.
Over the summer, UA spent just more than $5 million on renovations and maintenance projects for its student residences, according to Jeffery Vinger, director of residential facilities for UA's housing department. The total does not include any fraternity or sorority house projects.
Students will be able to use new washers and dryers in most residence halls, as well as a new laundry alert system that allows for online or phone app monitoring of machine activity.
"They can see when machines are available and better plan when and where to lug their laundry to get it cleaned," Vinger wrote in an email. With a few clicks, students can see an estimated time remaining for wash or dry jobs at machines in their building.
"This system also notifies students when their laundry is done, hopefully speeding up the turnaround of machines for the next student," Vinger said. UA has a five-year contract with Virginia-based Caldwell and Gregory for laundry services.
Another project involved replacing windows in Pomfret Hall, built in the 1960s, according to a 2006 UA planning document.
New double-paned windows will do a better job of controlling room temperatures and increasing energy efficiency, said Vinger, director of residential facilities for UA's housing department.
Pomfret has an eight-story wing. With the $1.65 million renovation, students "won't have to worry about their windows rattling every time the wind blows," Vinger said.
At a cost of about $1.7 million, UA added sprinklers to help protect against fires at Yocum Hall and renovated the hallways at the facility, also built in the 1960s.
Vinger said newer housing has sprinklers, but older dorms, such as Humphreys Hall, will have sprinklers added.
Metro on 08/12/2016