Hotel Students Back On Campus, Changes To Res Life In Future

Remember those "lucky" students who were sent way off campus to live last semester?  They're back - and the Houstonian (Jan. 19) discusses why this should not happen again:

Last semester, the university spent more than $400 thousand to rent out The Gateway Inn and Suites to house first year students because on-campus housing was at, and almost past, full capacity. Now, the hotel is free of students and on-campus housing is back to normal.

Dana Grant, Director for Residence Life Business Operations, said a combination of new residence policies and a large new dorm should eliminate the overflow problem by fall 2017.

Sam Houston State offers all-female on-campus living options, but doesn’t offer the same for males. The current housing ratio is 68 percent female and 32 percent male.

Michael Azuike was one of the freshman who spent last semester at the Gateway Inn and said that even though it wasn’t perfect, he wouldn’t mind doing it over again.

“It was pretty good overall,” Azuike said. “The shuttle service was reliable and we received room service once a week. The one thing that I disliked was transportation after 8 p.m. was difficult. The shuttle would stop running at 8 p.m.. Overall I enjoyed Gateway Inn and I wouldn’t have a problem staying there another semester.”

Gateway Inn cost the university over $400,000 to rent out for the semester, according to Grant. Students who were living in the hotel were charged with a mid-range priced dorm. The smallest and least expensive houses on campus are priced at $1,860 and the larger houses range from $2,044 to $2,992.

Construction on a new dorm is set to be complete in fall 2017. The house will host 700 students, thus eliminating the overflow problem, according to Grant.