UWG
News Item
Contact: University Communications & Marketing
Phone (678) 839-6464, FAX (678) 839-6645
ucm@westga.edu
Residence hall lottery
February 24, 2004
CARROLLTON, GA - Not very often do college students have the opportunity to be the first occupants in a new residence hall, but University of West Georgia students can sign up for that chance right now.
The residence hall lottery is underway through March 9 and students may attempt to get one of the new suites currently under construction. There are 612 beds available in the three new buildings, known as University Suites, scheduled for occupancy for the 2004 fall semester.
According to Dr. John Clower, director of residence life, all of the 2,749 beds available on campus are open for the lottery. This is the first time that students who are currently living off campus may participate in the selection process.
“The new buildings will be open only to upperclassmen and many students living in off-campus complexes have shown an interest in getting back on campus,” he said. “They often cite noisy living conditions as one reason they want a residence hall.”
The construction design for the University Suites included noise-dampening materials between suites and between floors. The location of the common area within the suites also serves as a buffer from hall noise, Clower explained.
The buildings offer double suites that house four students at a cost of $1400 per student per semester, and single suites that house two students at a cost of $1600 per student per semester. A traditional double room cost $1140 per student per semester.
State bond funds are not available to build residence halls and, as a result, a number of privatized projects have been built or are under construction around the state. UWG’s project is funded by bonds issued through the West Georgia Foundation, Inc. and trustee Randall Redding chairs the Foundation’s Construction Oversight Committee. He is very pleased with the rent rates.
“From everything we have seen and been told, our residence halls are being built within a budget that keeps the rents for the students at the lowest level of any other similar new halls in the state,” Redding noted. “Our foundation is taking a more hands on approach which has saved money. All throughout the design and construction process, we have tried to keep the students’ housing needs and wishes in mind without losing sight of the cost required to live there.”
Clower noted that the University’s residence halls have been at capacity for the past four years and there has been tremendous interest in the suite-style living quarters. The suites offer more privacy with bathrooms for every two residents. All suite common areas offer a sink, counters, microwave and full-size refrigerator with ice-maker.
The selection process will begin after the March 9 lottery deadline. Students may enter the lottery at www.westga.edu/~reslife. For more information, call the Department of Residence Life at 770-836-6426.
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