Administration at Dixie State University is aware that both on- and off-campus student housing is in desperate need of attention. The question is, what type of attention are students wanting them to give?
Students have been asked to share with administration what they feel would improve DSU housing. There is not enough student housing for all of the students in need of it. More land near campus needs to be purchased for the building of affordable, near-campus housing for both traditional and non-traditional students. The current housing options need to be upgraded and maintained.
We have experienced the hunt for student housing first-hand. Before summer semester had even started, finding housing for fall semester was practically impossible because housing complexes were already full. To get into many complexes, you have to reserve your room a year in advance, which is difficult for young adults.
Deciding what college you will attend, what classes you will take and what major you want to pursue is a lot to handle on its own. Plus, students don’t always hear back from colleges that far in advance, making reserving a room that early impossible.
More student housing complexes need to be built. There is land west of 700 East that is zoned for family housing, meaning that only certain types of housing complexes can be built there, and only certain demographics are allowed to fill the housing.
DSU President Biff Williams has a history of planning the construction of new buildings as well as working with city planners. Williams’ experience should be used in working with city officials to loosen those zoning laws. If these zoning laws were loosened it, would allow for more student housing to be built near campus.
Many college students do not have vehicles, so they rely majorly on walking and biking as their mode for transportation. If housing isn’t available near campus, DSU could lose some of its appeal.
Not to mention, parking lots are packed, making finding a parking spot nearly impossible some days. If there were more housing options near campus, then more students would be able to walk, alleviating some of the congestion in the parking lots.
Non-traditional housing is a concern. There are a lot of married couples, single parents or young families that attend DSU. It is difficult for these non-traditional students to find affordable housing near campus. More housing options need to be created for people in this situation.
Student housing complexes must be affordable. Affordability is crucial in drawing in students and appealing to the budget of a college student. Student housing rates should not be higher than $350 monthly.
Students want to see more options for single room housing. They want a room that is designed for one person, not one that they have to move the second mattress out of the way like they do in some current housing options.
Wi-Fi is also a concern to students. A large majority of classwork is done online. if the Wi-Fi in their housing complex isn’t reliable it makes completing assignments more difficult. In some student housing complexes it is required that you buy your own router for Internet. Students would prefer if the router was included with their contract, even if it was a small additional charge. Many of the current housing options are in need of an overall update, especially in regards to furniture.
