Residence Life will begin implementing various policy changes to Smith-Adams.
Shannon Kaczmarek, director of Res Life, said this is being done to better serve the student population by making the residence hall a unique housing option.
“Due to Smith-Adams being off-campus, it is often at the bottom of our second-year students’ list when it comes to housing,” Kaczmarek said. “Residence Life is pursuing Smith-Adams being a place students are excited about and eager to get into.”
One change that will be made to the res hall is that it will be open all year for students as an option for summer housing or a place to stay over Christmas break with the latter being free of charge.
“We have a lot of students that figure out summer housing every year so we’re going to open up starting this summer at $1000 over three months,” Kaczmarek said.
All bills will be included in the price, taking care of water, electricity and internet. Students will also have the option to put it on their student account and pay for rent with financial aid.
Res Life has also implemented a program for Smith-Adams residents in need of transportation to the university.
“We have a bike program that if students need transportation and they don’t have a vehicle or a bike and are concerned about being able to obtain one, then we will partner with that student in securing a bike for them that they can own and we will pick up the tab for them,” Kaczmarek said.
Another change to the hall that makes it unique to others is that it will become a pet-friendly res hall with limited space being converted to accommodate space for approved pets.
“It will only be on the first floor, so there will be limited spaces for it. That way students can still live in Smith-Adams without having to engage with pets,” Kaczmarek said.
One final change that will be made starting next school year is that upperclassmen will be given the opportunity to live in the res hall over other housing options.
“We have some students who have lived there over the course of this year and have really loved it,” Kaczmarek said. “We sent out an email to the residents and said that if they want to continue living in Smith-Adams next year then we are going to give them first priority.”
Other changes include an extension in visitation that has yet to be finalized as well as making safer paths from Smith-Adams to the university for students, building a dog park this summer and an 18-month plan to install kitchenettes in the apartments.
Darius Davis, resident director for Smith-Adams hall, said the purpose for the changes is to make it a place students want to be.
“Smith-Adams used to be a very popping place,” Davis said. “It was still filled with people that Smith-Adams was their last choice where they couldn’t go anywhere else or closer to campus, so the whole mindset is making Smith-Adams a place students choose to be at.”
