Rather than the previous first-come-first-serve approach to upperclassmen on-campus housing, the Department of Housing and Residential Life is implementing a new lottery system.
For the approaching fall 2020 housing registration, DHRL is requiring upperclassmen students seeking on-campus housing to sign up through the housing and residential life portal online to receive a number. The students who receive numbers are then emailed at random to fill open housing spots in a fairer fashion, according to DHRL Director Roseanne Proite.
Prior to the change, if an upperclassman applied to live on campus, they would have to submit their interest via the housing portal to secure a spot for next year. Housing capacity was often filled in 30 minutes of availability.
Students will be allowed to add their names to the lottery Oct. 28-Nov. 1 through the portal. A number will be randomly assigned Nov. 6 to each applicant. The students with the lowest numbers in value will be able to sign a housing contract first and choose which residence hall they would like to live in. The lottery will allow students a spot until all spaces have been filled.
“For me and our staff, it really was about fairness,” Proite said. “If you have classes or work on the weekend, we wanted to give everybody an ample opportunity to participate.”
According to Proite, there are 400 spots for upperclassmen on campus for fall 2020, not including the 200 spots allocated for resident assistants. Approximately 140 men and 260 women are able to live on campus as a sophomore or higher classification.
As of fall 2019, the Texas State student body is comprised of about 59% female and 41% male. Maintaining this ratio on campus is the goal for implementing the lottery system.
Proite assures the lottery process will respect the Texas State demographic and not split housing between both men and women. The system is set to ensure the ratio represents the actual student body.
“We cannot accommodate everyone right now; we just want to be fair,” Proite said.
Abbey Wagner, marketing sophomore, is applying for the RA job to avoid the lottery. She believes the new process is unfair to students who wish to secure on-campus housing and sees the RA position as an advantage for upperclassmen housing.
“I think living on campus would benefit me as an upperclassman because I can focus more on my studies as my classes advance, rather than stressing about paying rent or buying groceries,” Wagner said.
Jaci Osborne, accounting freshman, is pursuing an RA position. Osborne believes living on campus as an upperclassman would benefit her, as she would have easier access to extracurricular activities.
“While I am not an upperclassman yet, I think living on campus is such a great experience,” Osborne said. “I live in Laurel Hall and feel a great sense of community.”
This is the first time DHRL is trying the lottery system. Upperclassmen students have until Nov. 1 to add their names to the online portal.
More information about on-campus housing can be found on the DHRL website at https://www.reslife.txstate.edu/.