On the night of Tuesday, April 23, the University of North Dakota Housing Office held a virtual Town Hall meeting. All students who planned to live on-campus next semester and their parents were all invited to attend. The goal of this meeting was to address the issue of the increased demand for housing on-campus and to answer questions and concerns about how this might affect the living situations of certain students. After the meeting, they reached out to all the students who are being affected by this situation and provided a detailed explanation for how everything was being dealt with and how their particular situation would be addressed.  

The main cause for these changes is the large number of incoming students matched with the large number of students who wish to continue living on-campus. UND sees this as a good thing. Students enjoy living on-campus, and they want to continue giving them reasons to stay here. However, this high demand and current housing structure resulted in many incoming students not being able to sign up for housing. So, changes needed to be made. The solution was to turn all single occupancy rooms that can house two people into double occupancy rooms. This affects both the apartments in University Place and Swanson Hall. This solution allows upper class students who are currently signed up to live in the other residence halls to be able to move into a different location, which will open spaces for incoming students. 

Housing changes are never ideal. Students want to be able to know that they will be living in the space that they signed up to live in, and the people who must make these decisions know this. This is why they have worked hard to be able to ensure they find the best solution for all scenarios and find compensation for the inconveniences that this situation might have caused. Students being affected by these changes are being offered the opportunity to be released from their agreements with no penalty if they are not happy with their new living situation. Along with this, their housing fee will be lowered, and some people will be given a discount on parking. They will even receive a hundred dining dollars for each semester. 

If you are a student that is being affected by these changes, it is important that you stay informed about what your options are moving forward. Check your email and be on the watch for new updates from housing so you can ensure that you are making the best-informed decisions you can be making. If you have questions or concerns, they are encouraging students to reach out. This change can be difficult, so it is important to prioritize your needs and to ensure that you are comfortable with the decisions being made. 

Nora Lee is a Dakota Student General Reporter. She can be reached at [email protected].