UW considers requiring freshmen to live on campus

University of Washington administrators are quietly discussing a dramatic notion: making it mandatory for freshmen to live on campus.

Such a move would have significant financial implications for students and the university, and it could mark a turning point in UW campus life. It would send ripples through the Greek system and the University District neighborhood. And it likely would require a massive construction of new dorms, a process that would take years and cost millions of dollars.

UW President Mark Emmert has raised the idea of a residency requirement a number of times in private meetings with Provost Phyllis Wise and other top staff as one way to create a more-vibrant campus.

Emmert said he's awaiting specific proposals from a committee charged with finding ways to improve the undergraduate experience. He expects the proposals later this winter.

While the idea of mandatory dorm residence is just in the conceptual stage, Emmert said, "The central issue is one of creating a better environment on the campus for student development, both educationally and personally. This was tossed down simply as one option."

Emmert said his broader vision for the UW campus includes making it a place where there are more concerts, more theatrical productions, and student life is generally "more engaging and fuller."

Other administrators seem to be picking up on the president's cue. Christine Ingebritsen, the acting dean of undergraduate education, recently put the idea of requiring freshman residency before the committee.

Nearly two-thirds of this year's 5,000 freshmen chose to live in the residence halls, but after the first year, many typically move elsewhere. The dorm population is made up of 65 percent freshmen, 19 percent sophomores, 12 percent juniors and 4 percent seniors.

Residency requirements are common at universities around the country. In this state, Washington State University has such a rule, while Western Washington University strongly encourages freshmen to live on campus.

Many private universities — including Seattle University, Gonzaga University and Seattle Pacific University — also require freshman residency.

WSU and other institutions exempt older students and those commuting from nearby family homes. Any plan at the UW likely would contain similar provisions, officials confirmed.

WSU classifies the independently run Greek system as campus housing — but it's not clear whether the UW would do the same. About 3,000 UW students — including some 800 freshmen — live in fraternity and sorority houses near campus. Any changes could meet resistance.

"The Greek community would not agree if it's done quickly," student-government President Lee Dunbar said. "But if it's done right, I think it could happen. We would have to be pretty careful and plan very long-term, and I think Emmert knows that."

He added that some students might need more financial aid.

"Obviously, not all students can afford to live on campus," he said. "There's been a discussion about affordability, and financial aid needs to be considered as part of that. We are not sure yet how that would be addressed."

Students' reactions varied.

"I think it's a great idea, for the experience in and of itself," said Becca Drapkin, 19, a sophomore who lived in the residence halls as a freshman. "It really gives you a chance to see how completely different things are from high school and living at home."

Others disagree.

"I think we should be able to choose," said Aitza Escobaedo, 18, a freshman who lives in a dorm. "I'm thinking about moving to the city because I think it might be less expensive."

The UW's standard dorm plan costs a student about $6,300 per academic year, or $700 a month. The plan includes a shared room, food, utilities and access to workout and game rooms. Students also can opt for cheaper plans or deluxe packages.

Off campus, the average rent for a two-bedroom University District apartment is about $1,060 a month, according to Dupre + Scott Apartment Advisors.

The UW dorm system has about 4,900 beds, all of which are occupied. In fact, demand is so hot right now that, two months after classes began, some students are living in dorm lounges while waiting for rooms to open up.

The system is run by Housing and Food Services, an entirely self-funding arm of the UW that independently issues bonds to finance renovations and improvements. The seven main residence halls were built between 1937 and 1968 and have been renovated several times. Making dorm life mandatory would require the university to provide hundreds more beds.

Housing and Food Services Director Paul Brown said there is space on the 640-acre campus to build the extra housing, although the UW would first need to figure out how to pay for it.

"It sounds doable," he said. "We would have to wrap our minds around it and really do the analysis."

Alan Hargrave, president of the Association of College and University Housing Officers International and director of housing at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., strongly advocates campus living.

"There are a number of research studies which show there is a significant educational advantage for students to stay on campus in their first year," he said. "There's an improvement in retention rates, GPAs are better and there's an increase in satisfaction with the educational experience."

Hargrave said that at Ball State, which has a residency requirement, freshmen who stay on campus have a 2.7 grade-point average while those living off-campus under an exemption have an average GPA of 2.1.

One public university that recently switched to a mandatory system is Indiana University in Bloomington. Patrick Connor, the executive director of residential programs, said the policy was initiated by the chancellor and got support from the faculty council and student body. But even before it was mandatory, 95 percent of freshmen lived on campus.

"There was almost a unanimous vote in support of the policy," Connor said. "But if only 50 percent of freshmen lived on campus and we'd forced thousands more onto campus, it would have been very different."

UW's location in a major city naturally leads to higher numbers of students who commute, Emmert said. Traditionally, about two-thirds of in-state freshmen at the UW come from within commuting distance.

"Living on campus, the opportunities to create a more cohesive social and academic environment are infinitely greater," he said.

Nick Perry: 206-515-5639 or nperry@seattletimes.com