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Dorms fill up fast at Colorado universities

As classes get under way, dorms fill up fast at Colorado universities

Mary Voelz Chandler

Published August 26, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Ben Egbers cracks a book under the watchful eyes of a statue of poet Robert Frost in front of Old Main at the University of Colorado, where classes began Monday. CU's 22 dormitories can accommodate almost 6,000 students and are at capacity, said spokeswoman Malinda Miller-Huey.

Photo by Paul Aiken / The Camera

Ben Egbers cracks a book under the watchful eyes of a statue of poet Robert Frost in front of Old Main at the University of Colorado, where classes began Monday. CU's 22 dormitories can accommodate almost 6,000 students and are at capacity, said spokeswoman Malinda Miller-Huey.

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New residence halls at several Colorado universities have left just a handful of students cooling their heels in temporary housing while awaiting a permanent place to live.

Classes began Monday at the University of Colorado, Colorado State University and the University of Northern Colorado, where new or renovated residence halls are filling up fast. The same will hold true at the University of Denver, where classes starts Sept. 8. Last week, DU opened a residence hall aimed at keeping sophomores, juniors and seniors on campus.

Classes at schools on the Auraria campus began earlier this month, but are suspended this week because of the Democratic National Convention.

Here's a snapshot of what's new in lodging for students in 2008:

* The University of Colorado has 15 students lodged at the Broker Inn, but expects to give them a housing assignment today for a move Thursday. CU's 22 university residence halls can accommodate almost 6,000 students and are at capacity, said CU spokeswoman Malinda Miller-Huey.

A record freshman class of about 5,800 moved in last week. Plans include converting some of the old Athens North family housing to undergraduate housing and continuing a program to renovate several residence halls. On the drawing board: a new $65 million, 950-seat dining hall/office/parking complex to open in fall of 2010.

* CSU also is welcoming a record freshman class - about 4,400 - to help fill 5,240 beds in 12 residence halls. Occupancy stands at about 99.5 percent, said spokeswoman Jennifer Dimas.

That comes even with the addition of two Academic Village residence halls last fall. The accompanying Village Commons dining area also opened completely last week, bringing the project to $42 million. A third dorm, with 200 beds and a $19 million price tag, is to be completed in fall of 2009.

* As 2,100 freshman head to class, UNC has opened part of its new 348-bed West Campus Residence Hall for the fall semester. The project eventually will include 721 beds and cost $58 million.

West Campus is replacing McCowen Hall, so this year the bed count is down to about 3,000 from the usual 3,200 in the 16 halls on campus. The halls are at 94 percent capacity.

At complete build-out, spokesman Nate Haas said, the figure will stay at about 3,200 because another hall is being reconfigured to provide more space for the same number of students.

* DU last week opened the $39.8 million, 356-bed Nagel Hall, bringing the number of residence halls on campus to five.

The school's residence halls hold about 2,100 beds and are at 97 percent capacity, according to spokesman David Brendsel. The freshman class rings in at 1,200. The school is pushing to bring even more upper classmen into the dorm.

chandlerm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2677.

Bring, don't bring

The "do" list of what to cart with you to a residence hall varies from school to school. But the "don't" list is fairly standard, banning weapons, anything that's a fire hazard or nails or screws for hanging posters. Check before you go, but here are some examples:

CU: Bring an answering machine, computer, adhesive hangers, telephone, but not tapestries, most cooking appliances or pets (except for a small aquarium with your roommate's OK).

CSU: Bring bedding, a microfridge, a telephone, but not waterbeds, alcohol or pets (except fish).

UNC: Bring a refrigerator, microwave, rugs, but not pets (except for fish in a 10-gallon tank), drapes, candles or George Foreman grills.

DU: Bring towels, clothing and toiletries, but not space heaters, refrigerators, microwaves, waterbeds or air conditioners.