Staff prepared for impact of housing policy
Aside from managing the residence hall overflow, which is a term used for the leftover students when dorms are close to being or are actually over capacity, the on-campus houses offer other benefits to students, including a greater sense of “independence,” said Sumpter.
Additionally, although the houses are slightly separated from the campus, they are still university-owned, which means they are still cared for by university maintenance and patrolled by security.
However, with this style of living comes with specific criteria that must be met by each applicant, including a review of discipline records, a minimum of 36 credits and a newly introduced minimum of a 2.8 GPA.
“As we do have more of a capacity constraint with the number of students and enrollment in general – there is so much interest in Waynesburg [University] and being a resident [here],” said Sumpter. “Plus the four-year residency policy, I think the challenge this office has is making sure the people that are interested are the right students, and that’s where the application criteria comes in.”
There are additional houses the university can use for students depending on whether or not there is a capacity-based need.
Sumpter said using on-campus houses will be the procedure for the upcoming year and beyond, unless a dorm is built, although that is not yet an official option.
Mary Cummings, the former senior vice president of Student Services and Enrollment, sees the housing aspect of Waynesburg University comparable to running a business: every statistic matters.
“It’s all based on projection,” said Cummings. “Generally speaking, as we are getting closer and closer to August, we are down to the wire and we are watching numbers and seeing how many students are coming.”
The projections to which Cummings referred include female-to-male ratios and deciding how many rooms to set up as triples, quads or traditional styles, as well as how many houses will be opened up.
Cummings said there is often a certain amount of what the Department of Admissions calls “melt,” which is when students who have made a deposit and decided to come to Waynesburg decide they aren’t going to stay.
“It’s not an exact science,” said Cummings. “It’s the same reason why the airlines overbook seats and hotels overbook rooms. It’s across a lot of industries; it’s not unique to us. It’s just that it’s not a one-night stay in a hotel; it’s not a one-airplane trip where you just push them to the next airplane. For us, [projection] is a bit more difficult.”
Cummings said she understands why current students are upset about the four-year residency policy.
However, in her eyes, the benefits to living under the umbrella of Waynesburg University will help students beyond graduation.
“We’re supporting, building and providing the infrastructure to get you through your four years of university, safe and with a clean record,” said Cummings. “If you think about it, our criminal justice, education and nursing majors all have to pass background checks in order to get jobs. The more we can provide an environment that allows you to do that, the better we are at helping you succeed.”
While some students have reacted negatively to the change, Cummings said the number of students directly impacted by the change is actually much smaller than many might expect.
“There are going to be some people who perhaps don’t understand it at this point or are looking for something else,” Cummings said, “but when it came down to it, only 40-50 people were truly impacted [by the four-year residency policy], and hopefully that impact ends up being a positive one.”