Proposed housing discussed at SGA meeting

Scott Jensen, director of housing and residence life, spoke to the assembly at Wednesday’s SGA meeting about changing fees to students living on-campus rates at Shocker Hall and Fairmount Towers.

“We’re looking at some different things as opposed to raising flat rates,” Jensen said.

At Fairmount, the rates for double rooms will be lowered by $50, while the rate for single rooms will be raised $50.

At Shocker Hall, the rates will be adjusted by percentage instead, Jensen said. The rate for double rooms will be raised by 2 percent, and a proposed increase of 3 to 4 percent for single rooms.

Five single rooms will be converted into double rooms, a change that Jensen said reflects increased demand for double rooms.

“We didn’t raise our rates last year,” Jensen said. “We saw other student fees on campus increase and we tried not to.”

Jensen said the organization that handles the university’s mortgage on Shocker Hall provides a rate they expect housing to charge in order to pay their mortgage. WSU, he said, charges about 13 percent less than those rates.

Jensen expressed that housing had cut expenses to keep the rates low.

He further suggested that housing is considering changing supplier contracts from Sodexo to a different company.

Currently with Sodexo, he expects the costs for meal plan options to increase by 3 percent.

Housing has a goal for 2018 to fill both residence halls, and if they do not fill, Jensen said budget cuts will be made to make up for the decline in revenue.

“Staffing is one area,” he said. “Maybe we won’t provide cable anymore.”