Xavier Newswire: fewer underclassmen to live off campus

Some Norwood residents may be very pleased to know that Xavier University’s Residence Life Office intends to allow fewer underclassmen to live off campus starting this fall. According to the current issue of the Xavier Newswire, “Before move-in day, each first-year student signs a housing contract which states that all unmarried first-years and sophomores who are not commuters are expected to live on campus…However, in years past Res Life has allowed more exceptions to this rule than they will allow for the 2009-10 school year. In previous years, sophomores only needed to complete a form and obtain parental permission to live off campus. This year, unless a student had a signed lease and parental permission before Feb. 20, they will be required to live on campus next school year.”

Residence Life Director Lori Lambert said that some sophomores who have lived off-campus have not been great neighbors to the surrounding community. However, student behavior is not the only reason fewer exceptions will be allowed for sophomores. Lambert told the Newwire, “Certainly there is [also] a financial consideration to this decision. All offices have been asked to look at what they can cut and what extra revenues they can generate. The Office of Residence Life has a budget to meet based on a percentage of occupancy each semester. Any empty bed is lost revenue to the university, we are trying to minimize this possibility by enforcing the policy in the Housing Agreement.” If the current 97% occupancy rate can be improved to 100% this fall, Xavier would realize a gain of $750,000.