Thousands of students packed up and moved into ETSU on-campus housing last week. The university has nine residence halls and two residence apartment buildings, and fall 2017 is the first year that housing has opened at capacity since fall 2012.
Director of Housing and Residence Life Bonnie Burchett credits this to a number of things.
“All in all, it is a combination of an increase in returning students and new incoming students which all of this is the result of excellent academic programs, increased support services for students, a vibrant campus life at ETSU, and enormous opportunities for students to achieve success through service, leadership, research and study abroad,” Burchett said.
Sixty percent of spring 2017 residents re-signed for fall 2017 housing, which is an approximate 3-5 percent increase over the previous year. There is also an indication that there will be an increase in the freshmen class this fall, but ETSU officials can not yet confirm final numbers.
According to Housing and Residence Life, living on campus helps with the students’ transition to college and provides them a good foundation for success. Their staff works with all the areas on campus to bring information and resources to residents right where they live.
Residents are educated in on-campus resources and opportunities, and the staff helps them make connections with other students. This helps students be successful, and whether or not they continue to live on campus, they are more likely to stay at ETSU and more likely to graduate.
Burchett is currently in the process of planning for next year and is hopeful that student retention and enrollment will continue to rise.
“Every year is different, so we will see what next year brings, but we will work hard to support the university’s goals for retaining current students and recruiting new students to ETSU,” Burchett said.
“We will do everything we can to accommodate every student who wants to live on campus next year.”
