South Campus dorms limited to freshmen

Starting in the fall, just one segment of UNC’s population will be able to live on South Campus.

Only freshmen will be able to live in South Campus residence halls, which include Craige, Craige North, Ehringhaus, Hardin, Hinton James, Horton and Koury.

In addition to the seven South Campus residence halls, Connor will be the sole North Campus residence hall freshmen can list as one of their preferences.

There will be a limited number of spaces available for non-freshmen in Craige North, while Morrison, Rams Village and Odum Village remain open to upperclassmen.

Associate Director of Housing and Residential Education Rick Bradley said these changes were based on results from surveys that the housing advisory board sent out to freshmen to get feedback about living on South Campus.

Bradley said the board had tried to implement the rule at the beginning of this school year but did not succeed because a significant number of upperclassmen remained on South Campus, forcing many freshman to live on North Campus.

But he said the majority of freshmen live on South Campus since the launch of the First Year Experience program this year, which aims to ease the transition to college for freshmen.

“This year, the upperclass students were controlling the space,” Bradley said. “We didn’t have enough space on South Campus this year, so we did use North Campus space for first-year students.”

Bradley said the purpose of the policy change is to create a sense of community to let freshmen students adjust to the new environment.

“These housing changes are in order to effectively program and target where first-year students live,” he said. “It’s harder when they’re spread across campus.”

People who are resident advisers, members of Living-Learning Communities and office assistants can still live on South Campus, as well as people who need special living accommodations.

Freshman Amy Lee said she thought the change made sense.

“I like living on South Campus because first-year students are in a new environment, and it’s nice to be somewhere where you are in the same boat as everyone else,” Lee said.

The housing board plans to notify upperclassmen on South Campus of other housing opportunities, such as Rams Village.

But Andrea Lane, a sophomore, said the housing department did not advertise the change well enough to students.

“I think it’s a little unfair to upperclassmen, at least sophomores, that want to live on South Campus. And for upperclassmen in the business school, it would be convenient to live on South Campus.

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