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Media Relations
Kansas State University
9 Anderson Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6415
media@k-state.edu

Information provided by K-State Media Relations, K-State's news service, may be reproduced without permission. The marks and names of Kansas State University are protected trademarks and may not be used in any commercial or private endeavor without the approval of the university.

Sources: Chuck Werring, 785-532-6453, werring@k-state.edu; Derek Jackson,
785-532-7659, derekaj@k-state.edu; and Deborah Kohl, 785-532-3790, dkohl@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Beth Bohn, 785-532-6415, bbohn@k-state.edu

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

K-STATE HOUSING EXPECTS FULL HOUSE FOR FALL SEMESTER

MANHATTAN -- Kansas State University housing and dining staff are preparing for a full house -- and then some -- this fall.

"Occupancy rates at K-State's campus housing for the fall 2008 semester should be at their highest level ever. The last time we had to deal with an overflow situation of this size was in 1990 and 1991," said Chuck Werring, K-State assistant vice president of housing and dining services.

"We aren't turning anyone away; we haven't reached maximum capacity yet, but we have had to densify to meet the overflow," said Derek Jackson, associate director of housing and dining services. "Our philosophy has always been that we need one more bed than that the last person coming in. We've been working to come up with that last bed."

Maximum capacity at K-State's residence halls is 3,801. Jackson said to accommodate requests for rooms, study rooms and other spaces at the residence halls have been turned into residential rooms. In addition, at least 130 students requesting residence hall living are being placed at the Jardine Apartments.

Part of the increased demand for student housing has been from international students. Jackson said he first anticipated housing around 120 incoming international students this fall, up from 70 last year. That number has now jumped to more than 160 incoming international students desiring on-campus living arrangements.

The high demand for K-State's on-campus housing doesn't surprise Werring. Even though the university does not require students, even freshmen, to live on campus, Werring said K-State housing offers the extras that students and their parents appreciate.

"It's our tremendous customer service," he said. "We put our students first. Student involvement in leadership opportunities and decision-making is critical and embraced on all levels of our department. Students are treated as our No. 1 customer and we make it a priority to provide them with the services they need -- flexible and nutritious meal plans, superb custodial services, responsive 24-hour maintenance, academic and tech support -- to help them succeed at K-State. Proximity to campus and safety initiatives also make living on campus an easy choice."

In addition, Werring said the full menu of housing options K-State offers is appealing to students. Residence halls feature suites as well as single- and double-occupancy rooms. The Jardine Apartments, with units from one to four bedrooms, is a great place for students with families or those who prefer apartment living in a community setting -- complete with the special amenities and programs that are available on campus.

"We have one of the best campus housing and dining departments in the country," Werring said. "All of our service units are extremely well respected across the country. We pay attention and are very responsive to the needs of each of our students."

Even with more students expected to live on campus, the quality of housing services provided at K-State won't suffer, Jackson said.

"Our view of overflow is that it won't reduce the level of amenities and services we are committed to providing," he said.

"To ensure the quality of our service and to accommodate the overflow in our Jardine Apartments, we've added staff -- especially staff who have experience working in residence halls. All have been highly trained to accommodate the needs of our students," said Deborah Kohl, coordinator of community development for K-State housing and dining services' Jardine Apartments.

"We want people to choose to live with us. We know students return to our campus housing because of the high level of services we provide," Kohl said. "By offering such a high level of services, we know, too, that students are more likely to live with us throughout their time at K-State."

Some of the housing crunch should be alleviated by the spring semester due to fall graduation and to the number of K-State students who study abroad or serve internships in the spring, Jackson said.

Work continues to increase housing units at K-State. The first phase of the 10-year Jardine Apartments redevelopment project is nearly complete. The second phase, set to start in 2010, should boost capacity from its current 1,350 beds to 1,900 beds. The project has included new construction and the renovation of units that date back to the late 1950s.

Werring said K-State has worked hard to make living on campus like living at home.

"Our cornerstone philosophy -- based on our four cornerstones of tradition, educational, global and imagination -- serves us well," he said. "These cornerstones represent the ongoing commitment of K-State housing and dining services to enhance the quality of life for all who call on-campus housing their home."

Residence halls at K-State open Saturday, Aug. 23, with fall semester classes starting Monday, Aug. 25.