Anderson University Campus Family:
Because a great deal of misinformation is being spread about on-campus housing for seniors next fall, we would like to offer the following additional information, address some of the fiction, and provide the facts.
Like many universities, Anderson University requires that freshmen, sophomores, and juniors live on campus to the extent housing spots are available.
The reason it’s a good idea to require that freshmen, sophomores, and juniors live on campus is simple: research shows younger students are more successful in college when they get plugged into campus life and develop a sense of community with their peers. The on-campus living requirement is just one of the many ways we intentionally foster that connection.
That being said, on-campus housing is limited. That’s why the University has never guaranteed housing. When demand exceeds supply—as is currently the case next semester— some students may be allowed to live off campus.
Space permitting, seniors may apply to live on campus, or they may live off campus.
There are two primary reasons for this. First, by the time a student has reached his or her final year in college, they’ve already forged the community bonds necessary for a successful and rewarding college experience. Second, just as living on campus helps ease a student’s transition to college, living off campus helps ease a student’s transition to postgraduate life. Living on one’s own, off campus, is a vital learning experience (as is dorm living is for a freshman!)
However, when space is not available to house all seniors that desire to live on campus, some seniors must obviously live off campus.
Of course, AU recognizes that many seniors want to live on campus because of our robust campus experience. It’s fun to live on campus. It’s convenient. And, when space is available, we welcome as many students as we can accommodate. When space is not available, however, our written policy is clear: housing preference is given to freshmen, sophomores, and juniors.
The simple fact is that, while planning for fall 2024, we received more housing applications from seniors than ever before. In fact, we saw a 20 percent increase in senior students (388, to be precise) seeking on-campus housing from a year ago. That’s the sole reason why, for the first time in our 113-year history, we made the difficult decision to institute a limited lottery for some seniors.
To be clear, the sole reason for the lottery is the increased demand for on-campus housing from rising seniors.
Why did we communicate these circumstances now? It’s so that affected seniors have ample time to make other arrangements. We are eager, willing and ready to assist students in finding off-campus housing.
We recognize that a senior housing lottery is not ideal. But it is necessary.
Anderson University is thankful our students are so passionate about living with their peers on campus. It’s one of the many things that make our campus community special. We deeply regret the inconvenience of a senior housing lottery. Again, we are eager to assist students find other arrangements. We’ll do everything in our power to help. In the meantime, we appreciate the grace so many of you have shown as we navigate this challenge together.
In conclusion, we hope this simple document will help you better understand the dynamics behind the senior housing lottery.
How else can we help? Please let us know by calling Residence Life at 864-662-6011 or by sending us an email to residencelife@andersonuniversity.edu.