Letter to the Editor: Growth of students needs residence hall reevaluation

I agree with Erik Muckey when he mentioned hopes for new residence halls in Braley Dodson’s article, President James Abbott covers enrollment, graduation and retention rates.  If Abbott wants to continue the growth at the University of South Dakota, he needs to accommodate that growth with places for new students to live.

As a student ambassador, I am required to tell students that we have a “number of options” for living on campus, but in reality I feel like a liar. A four-person dorm room is not what high school seniors expect when I take them, and their families, on tour so we don’t show them.  Families are blissfully unaware of the living situations until they get the room assignments in the mail.

USD has countless opportunities for students already. While every improvement Abbott mentioned in his State of the University Address is great, those same improvements should not be prioritized before new residence halls.

Abbot also mentioned increasing retention rates, the number of out-of-state students, and balancing gender.  Those new students need a place to live! Our on-campus residence halls were all near, or exceeding, 100 percent occupation rates last year.  Residence halls are a necessity if the plan is to increase enrollment.

I love USD. I would not change a thing about my experiences here.  But in order for this school to be even better, residence halls need to accommodate growth. Right now, they can barely accommodate the current students.

I respect Abbott’s ambition to improve campus, but those improvements need to be able to ensure a better college experience. Part of a better college experience is having a comfortable place to sleep.

– Madison Warder