Restricting upperclassmen from living in certain traditionally freshmen residence halls on South Campus is a necessary policy to help ensure the best possible first year experience.
The first year of college is a particularly formative time, and a strong sense of community among the freshman class helps to ease the transition from high school to college.
Leaving Morrison Residence Hall, Rams Village, Odum Village and two floors of Craige North Residence Hall available to upperclassmen provides adequate housing on South Campus for those looking for convenient locations close to the Kenan-Flagler Business School and other nearby attractions.
The upperclassman demand for the South Campus residence halls in question is low, and the few that are set on staying in hall-style dormitories south of Manning Drive can be concentrated in Craige North, where their shared priorities in terms of housing would create a more close-knit community. However, the Department of Housing must survey the student body from time to time to ensure that demand does not greatly increase.
With this concentration of upperclassmen, Craige North could also serve as a hub for foreign exchange students, who are often stuck in freshmen high-rises, allowing them to enjoy their time here with students closer to their age while offering a location that is conducive to a first experience at UNC.
This system being put into place at Craige North should also serve as a model for the new South Campus residence hall that has been proposed in order to fill the void that will be created by Odum Village’s eventual closing. This system could help account for fluctuations in the size of the freshman class while also truly offering a replacement for the upperclassman-oriented living accomodations found in Odum Village.
