As the University of Utah pursues its plan to become a more residential campus, students say they are not questioning whether they want to live on campus, but whether they can afford to.
The U’s housing expansion is part of its plan to transform from a commuter campus into a residential community due to students’ growing interest in living on campus. However, current students raised concerns about rising housing costs, mandatory meal plans and vacant dorm rooms.
Housing plans
University Housing has described more student interest in living on campus. “Each year, we’ve seen a rising trend of people who want to live on campus,” said Anna Dickherber, executive director of Housing & Residential Education.
The housing expansion is part of the university’s new development for residential growth. “College Town Magic” is a framework spearheaded by President Taylor Randall to transform the U from a commuter-focused campus into a residential one by constructing new student housing. The U’s newest dorm, Trailhead, is a part of this framework and is set to open in the fall. Trailhead, along with the other most recently built dorms, is a Learning Living Community, which brings together cohorts of students, typically in dorm-style housing.
Affordability
For McKenna Gibbons, a sophomore graphic design major, moving off campus was a financial decision. “Off-campus housing is generally just a lot cheaper than on-campus housing,” Gibbons said…