Matthew Oudkerk\/\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Students who want to live on campus next year will enter a housing lottery to determine what residence hall they are assigned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is critical for the college from a planning purpose,\u201d Ron Wiafe, dean of students said. \u201cWe always want to ensure that we have enough housing for our returning students and potential new students coming into the college and for us to do that, we have to know how many students want to remain on campus and how many students will potentially want to move off campus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Students will be given lottery numbers based on their class rank to determine where they will live. Seniors get priority, followed by juniors, sophomores and freshmen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When students are given their lottery tickets, they go to their lottery location on the designated day at the designated time, in order to make a decision on their housing choice, with the freedom of that choice being granted by the luck of the draw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some students said they are still confused about how the process will work. \u201cI am unsure of how the housing lottery works,\u201d sophomore Jaivean Blair said. \u201cI know that seniority plays a part in the acceptance of where you\u2019re placed but even then it has been a struggle to receive the right accommodations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Provost Debbie Ricker noted the housing assignment process has changed over the last several years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I first arrived at Hood, around 2016 that was right around the time when the institution was making a change with regard to how first-year students were housed on campus,\u201d she said. \u201cAt that time, first-year students were transitioning from living in many of the residence halls across campus, to living in Smith Hall.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ultimately, the college decided it was not ideal to have all of the first-year students in one dormitory and it has returned to an earlier model where new students are housed with upperclassmen, who can serve as mentors and role models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNow first-year students can be placed in any of the residence halls, except Blazer Hall, and I think that has gotten far more positive feedback from students, as well as the members of the community holistically about how that kind of underpins the living and learning experience, not just for first-year students, but for all students,\u201d Ricker said. \u201cIt gives first-year students exposure to upperclassmen, it gives upperclassmen exposure to some of our newer students. In a way, it helps build our community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The lottery is still evolving. Wiafe noted that in the future, GPA and campus activities could play a role in determining housing selection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The housing lottery begins at the end of April.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"