PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University’s student housing areas are feeling the challenge of serving the second largest freshmen class due this fall at the university.
The 2,600 freshmen and a higher than average return of previous residents have nearly filled the university’s 19 residence halls, Gerald Marczynski, director of WSU Housing and Dining Services, said.
“We are just about full everywhere,” the director said. To solve the challenge, WSU officials re-opened Perham Hall which added an additional 200 spaces of available housing. Perham had been used since 1999 as conference and student visitation housing.
With the fall opening, too, of the Honors Hall, with 118 spaces for students, there should be more spaces for new freshmen. Honors Hall, previously known as White Hall, also houses the Honors College staff.
“We continue to receive housing contracts every day,” Marczynski said. “Certainly this offers our unit some challenges. However, being able to add the two additional buildings this fall has helped our situation.”
Housing officials will honor a number of requests from students who will return late to campus. “For example, several students are part of fire-fighting crews and may not be here when classes begin,” he added. “Families have called to let us know about their situations, and university housing will be available.”
“We will meet the housing needs of our freshmen and returning students,” he added. “Some may be in temporary spots for a short while, but we expect spaces to open up during the first weeks of classes.”
When McCroskey Hall remodeling is completed in September, students assigned to that international student residence hall will move back, also freeing space in Perham.
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