UHDS News

During Fall 2012, Oregon State University move-in will be spread over two days, Sept. 18 and 19. Check in will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Arrival times will be assigned to students for specific slots during the day.

Buildings available for move in on Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012 (Day One)

• Cauthorn Hall
• Finley Hall
• Halsell Hall
• McNary Hall
• Weatherford Hall
• West Hall
• Wilson Hall

Buildings available for move in on Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012 (Day Two)

• Bloss Hall
• Buxton Hall
• Callahan Hall
• Hawley Hall
• International Living-Learning Center
• Poling Hall
• Sackett Hall
• Avery Lodge (cooperative)
• Azalea House (cooperative)
• Dixon Lodge (cooperative)
• Oxford House (cooperative)

See a list of other important dates in the OSU housing application process and stay tuned for more information on Move-In Day.

Starting fall of 2012, University Housing & Dining Services will be changing the programmatic locations and offerings for a few of the residence halls.

Finley Hall to house upper classmen and conference guests

Finley Hall will change from a sole purpose residence hall for OSU students to become a multipurpose facility for a few new and current growing programs.

The seventh floor was designated as an upper class and transfer student floor this yea (2011-12). Finley will continue to provide space for upper class and transfer students for 2012-13.

In addition, two floors will be filled with OSU scholars/interns and INTO-OSU monthly arrivals that take place after hours.

The remaining floors will be used for conference housing similar to what many institutions throughout the region provide.

Honors College finds new home in West Hall

The University Honors College (UHC) Program will move from McNary Hall where it has been located for years to West Hall starting in the Fall of 2012. The hall will continue to be open to all residents, although UHC students will be given priority in the room assignment process.

Sackett Hall to house ROTC students

With the programmatic change in Finley, the areas designated for those who participate in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) Program will transition to Sackett Hall in Fall 2012.  Students who would like to live with other ROTC students and/or who keep the same strenuous ROTC schedule are welcome to live in a designated wing of Sackett.

— Eric Hansen, associate director

Learn more about UHDS hall themes.

[Campus Living, Nov. 18, 2011] — Fall is not even over yet, but you may already be thinking about your plans for next year.  Does being a Resident Assistant (RA) fit into your plans?

If you are interested in getting to know others, helping support students in their transition and connection to college, and being a resource and mentor in the residence halls, then the answer may be “yes.”

Being an RA is a great way to get leadership experience, build your resume, and gain skills desirable to employers after college – including diversity, leadership, teamwork and more.  To learn more about the process and to get your questions answered, attend any of the following information sessions:

• 8 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, International Living-Learning Center, Auditorium 155
• 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, Azalea House
• 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30 Callahan Hall Lounge

• 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10, Memorial Union Journey Room

Applications are available starting Monday, Nov. 28 and close at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 16.  More information and the application can be found by visiting www.oregonstate.edu/uhds/whyira.

Jill Childress, Resident Director, Weatherford Residential College

[Campus Living, Nov. 4, 2011] — All UHDS residence halls and cooperative houses remain open during the Thanksgiving break; however, during winter break and spring break only Bloss, Buxton, Cauthorn, Finley, Halsell, Hawley, International Living-Learning Center, Poling, Sackett, and West will be open.

Residents who are unable to leave campus during break periods are encouraged to live in one of these halls.

Residents assigned to open halls may remain in their rooms during break weeks, but will be assessed at a weekly rate of $124.25. If you are an INTO-OSU student, this charge is already included in your housing rate.

The deadline to sign up for winter break housing is at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7.

Residents of all other facilities, and those who do not sign up for break housing, should plan on departing for winter and spring breaks (Dec. 11-Jan 7) and (March 25-31).

The break rates start on the Saturday after classes end at 11:59 p.m. and continue until the Saturday before classes resume at 8 a.m. Students who do not want to pay for break housing must vacate before – and return after –  this time period to avoid fees. Residents that stay past 11:59 p.m. on the Saturday after finals end will be charged for one week of break housing.

Room checks coming soon: In addition, UHDS will be doing health and safety checks of every room at the end of Fall and Winter terms.  If you want to be present schedule some time with their Resident Director or Resident Advisor.

Otherwise, staff will briefly enter your room, over the break to make sure that there aren’t any safety issues – such as waste in the trash, windows left open, or appliances plugged in (curling irons, extension cords, etc).

Brian Stroup and Kathryn Magura, UHDS Operations and Facilities

[Campus Living, Nov. 4, 2011] — It’s that Time of Year:  RA Search!

Fall is not even over yet, but you may already be thinking about your plans for next year.  Does being a Resident Assistant (RA) fit into your plans?

If you are interested in getting to know others, helping support students in their transition and connection to college, and being a resource and mentor in the residence halls, then the answer may be “yes.”

Being an RA is a great way to get leadership experience, build your resume, and gain skills desirable to employers after college – including diversity, leadership, teamwork and more.  To learn more about the process and to get your questions answered, attend any of the following information sessions:

• 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, Marketplace West Conference Room
• 7 to 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21, Memorial Union Journey Room
• 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, International Living-Learning Center, Auditorium 155
• 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, Azalea House
• 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30 Callahan Hall Lounge

Applications are available starting Monday, Nov. 28 and close at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 16.  More information and the application can be found by visiting www.oregonstate.edu/uhds/whyira.

Jill Childress, Resident Director, Weatherford Residential College

[Daily Barometer, Oct. 27, 2011] — To some, Oregon State University is recognized as a school that is up-to-date in many important ways, particularly in terms of science and technology. It may come as a surprise, then, to find when it comes to accommodating students with disabilities, OSU may be, in some critical ways, behind the times.

According to Jeffrey Evans, head of the OSU Able Student Alliance, lack of accessible student housing options is one of the primary concerns for students with disabilities.

“We [the ASA] have yet to be told how many rooms in the residence halls are accessible,” Evans said. He continued by stating the three components ASA considers most important when determining if a residence hall may be deemed “accessible”: the dorm rooms themselves, the shared spaces in the building and the paths of travel from the residence hall to classes and other buildings on campus.

When asked how many of the residence halls on campus are accessible, Associate Director of University Housing and Dining Services Dan Larson replied that the question could not be answered based on the provided criteria. … Read more of “Mobility impaired lack housing options” by Kristin Pugmire.

Never before has an Oregon State University student been able to wake up in their residence hall and walk a few flights of stairs to their first class. Such will be the case upon the development of the International Living Learning Center.

The ILLC will be having its grand opening Monday. The ribbon will be cut at 4 p.m., followed by self-guided tours and an open house from 4:30-6 p.m.

The ILLC is a brand new building that serves as INTO’s headquarters, a residence hall, classroom structure and business center. It is home to over 320 international and domestic students, offers 26 classrooms specifically for INTO-OSU academic classes, and houses INTO-OSU’s administration offices and international programs.

“The ILLC was built to accommodate an increased number of students that would be attending OSU through various programs offered by INTO-OSU,” said Operation Manager Joseph Evans.

The campus resource features a brand new Cascadia market right next to Arnold Dining Center as well as Peet’s Coffee. There is also an all-purpose auditorium that can be used as a lecture hall. The classrooms boast state-of-the art technology.

“The total cost of this building was $52 million. UHDS is carrying the debt on the facility, paying for it through the sale of public bonds,” Evans said. “In other words, paying the mortgage through generated revenue collected from student room fees, sales from Peet’s Coffee, and Cascadia market and the space UHDS leases to INTO-OSU and the University.”

The residence hall is easily one of the most expensive on campus. The facility offers student housing, but it’s by no means cheap.

Per academic year, the student will pay $10,080.  There are three types of rooms offered in the building: double-room with a dining plan for $4,753 per term, double-room with a private bathroom and dining plan for $5,260 per term and single room with dining plan for $5,793.  There are private restrooms as well as public restrooms situated in the halls like other resident halls on campus.

“I like the class so close; it’s very easy,” said Doo RT Kim, who arrived from Korea one week ago.

Some classrooms are right next to floor lounges, where a glass wall separates the class and the lounge.

“It is easy to focus. The lounge does not distract us,” said Teng Jim Yan, a Chinese student who arrived three months ago.

International students who have classes but do not live in the ILLC agreed with their peers.

“I like my listening and speaking class, but the building has bad parking and is too far away,” said Faisal Alshehli from Saudi Arabia.

Parking is a common complaint among the students, as well as there aren’t enough Americans to interact with. The best thing, students agreed, is the conveniently located coffee shop and market place.

“Students seem just as focused as in any other classroom,” said Melody Slothower, an INTO-OSU instructor of two years. “No one’s showed up in their pajamas at all.”

Though ILLC instructors are doing something that other professors on campus haven’t, the overall mood is one of enthusiasm.

“The best thing about teaching in this building is that there’s more room, and it’s a unique place to work,” said Randy Garver, instructor for intensive English and lower-level listening and speaking.

Main concerns have to do with classroom layout and technology issues.

“The rooms next to the lounges have been a concern, but no problems so far,” Garver said. “There might be a technology glitch too.”

Moving past possible distractions technological glitches, another concern stems from the lack of interaction that ILLC faculty, students and residents are experiencing.

“I can’t interact with my colleagues as much because we’re on different floors. It takes a lot more effort to keep up communication,” Slothower said.

However, teachers agree the new building has amazing views from the windows and every resource is state of the art.

To learn more, search International Living-Learning Center on the OSU website.

Read more from The Daily Barometer. (Published Oct. 7, 2011)

Oregon State University, which expects international enrollment to surpass 1,800 this fall, is opening a 365-bed dormitory, half for international students, with classrooms and laboratories for a program that helps international students adjust. PSU already has one building, East Hall, to support international students and Americans studying abroad. PSU and the University of Oregon each may see enrollment for students from other countries top 2,000 this year.

Read more from The Oregonian. (Published Sept. 26, 2011)

Oregon State University, semi-quiet during the summer, was flooded with students Monday for the first day of fall-term classes. The university expects to enroll 25,000 this fall.

More than 3,000 of those students on campus were freshmen, including Nicole Elsmore and Caitlin Brenton. They took a long lunch at Arnold Dining Center and discussed their morning classes: chemistry for Elsmore, and college composition and algebra for Brenton.

Read more from the Corvallis Gazette-Times. (Published Sept. 27, 2011)

Video: “A look at the new OSU International Living-Learning Center”