Anna Nelson

Due to an increased number of students who returned housing contracts this semester, 200 students will live in hotels, at least for one semester.

These students will be housed in 100 rooms in three hotels: Holiday Inn Campus Area, 2703 Craig Road; Quality Inn, 809 W. Clairemont Ave.; and Ramada Inn and Conference Center, 1202 W. Clairemont Ave.

The number of returning student housing contracts is much higher than previous years, said Chuck Major, director of housing and residence life. Usually, between 1,600 and 1,650 contracts are submitted, but this year the number reached 1,900, he said.

Last year was the first time in four years that hotels weren’t needed for housing, Major said. Chancellors Hall helped with the on-campus housing shortage for one year, but space there is highly sought after, Major said.

He also said that 700 students applied for 85 openings in the apartment-style dorm. In past years, it was typical for 60 students to stay in hotels longer than the one-semester contract.

“We may or may not need to house students there next semester,” Major said.

An e-mail was distributed to students living in dorms in April, and Major said 90 students asked to be considered to live in hotels. Only upperclassmen and transfer students were put in hotels, Major said.

Life in the hotels will be similar to life in dorms. There are six resident assistants total, and rules are the same as they are for on-campus students.

“We’ll enforce the university policies just as we would in regular dorms,” said senior Kyle Gustafson, a resident assistant at the Quality Inn who was scheduled be a resident assistant in Horan Hall, but was moved to the hotel. He said he thinks the hotel will be more relaxed, and that having co-ed floors will be one of the biggest differences than traditional dorm life.

Most residents on his floor are transfer students, he said. One transfer student, J.D. Leonard, almost had to live in an overflow room until he was placed in a hotel by the university.

He said he was concerned about the distance from campus, but was optimistic about meeting people. Getting to class was also a concern of Neil Blaze, a junior transfer student who has most of his classes in Haas Fine Arts Center. Blaze said he was looking forward to living in the hotel, and thinks it will be quieter than dorms.

“I wasn’t upset when I found out I’d be living in a hotel,” Blaze said. “I think it’s kind of cool.”

City buses will take students to campus from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. A van from the housing department will operate from 10:30 p.m. until about 2 a.m.