FAYETTEVILLE -- On the first day of fall semester classes, 57 students remained in temporary housing assignments at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, a UA spokesman said Monday.
Last fall, 17 students started out on the first day of classes in temporary room assignments, as UA in recent years has lacked the housing to immediately provide permanent assignments to larger and larger freshman classes.
University officials have said that a mix of last-minute cancellations and other events typically clear up the housing picture as the semester goes on.
The temporary housing assignments include pairing off with a resident assistant or staying in converted study areas, said Christopher Spencer, a university spokesman. A resident assistant is typically a returning student at UA who lives in a dormitory and takes on a leadership role within the residence hall.
The university requires most first-year students to live on campus. No final tally has been calculated, but an estimated 5,100 freshmen were expected to enroll this fall, Suzanne McCray, the university's vice provost for enrollment and dean of admissions, said in an email earlier this month.
UA has beds for 5,726 students, according to data published online for 17 residence halls and campus apartment housing. In November, UA System trustees approved an estimated $77 million project to build a new residence hall.
University spokesman Steve Voorhies said construction on the 710-bed project will begin in early September with completion expected in the summer of 2019.
Metro on 08/22/2017