Contact: Allison Matthews
STARKVILLE, Miss.--To meet the changing needs of a growing student body, Mississippi State's Department of Housing and Residence Life is exploring new ways to accommodate graduate students.
Currently, nearly 4,000 students live on campus, out of a total university enrollment of more than 20,000.
By this fall, a block of rooms will be designated as single, private rooms in both Ruby and Critz halls for those studying in master's- or doctoral-level programs. Both facilities are located in close proximity to each other on the north side of campus.
Ruby is part of the Zacharias Village complex, while Critz is the last of four "boomerang" halls, so nicknamed because of their sweeping-curve design. While Ruby offers premium housing, Critz offers renovated rooms at a lower price point.
Bill Kibler, vice president for student affairs, said the decision came as part of a plan to accommodate particular graduate student needs. The addition of two new undergraduate residence halls currently under construction made the decision possible, he added.
"Our demand for on-campus housing is very high, and it is important that we accommodate our students to the very best of our ability and to the extent that our facilities allow," Kibler said.
Student needs across all academic levels drive the university's goal to create high-quality learning environments, he emphasized.
The new graduate rooms will be available for the nine-month, fall-spring academic year. Individuals desiring to live on campus during Maymester and the two summer terms will be required to submit separate applications for Rice Hall, a high-rise on the south side of campus.
MSU residence life has evolved significantly over the last decade, said Ann Bailey, veteran director of the housing and residence life department.
She said seven new residence halls have been constructed since 2005, with an additional five extensively renovated since 1999.
"While several of our older residence halls were able to be renovated at a feasible cost, a few of our facilities would have required such extensive modifications, that it was economically more practical to close certain halls," Bailey said.
Bailey said the aging facilities that had to be closed included high-rise Hamlin and Suttle halls, as well as the three older "boomerang" halls, Duggar, Hightower and Smith. Additionally, Aiken Village, which for decades provided one and two bedroom apartments for graduate and married students, currently is slated for demolition.
Kibler said the newly designated graduate rooms will not solve every current need, but he expressed pleasure that MSU is taking another significant step to accommodate more students at Mississippi's largest institution of higher learning.
"We are still building and developing our campus and working diligently according to our university master plan, and more housing facilities are in the planning process for the future," Kibler said.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see www.msstate.edu.