With University Housing full and incoming freshmen still seeking to live in the dorms, the Office of the Dean of Students is creating new housing solutions.
“We’ve developed a unique and progressive approach (to the problem),” Dean of Students Paul Shang said.
Students are first notified that there isn’t enough room within University Housing. Then, they are invited via Facebook to join a specially created group called “UO Apartment/Roommate Connection.”
“Only the people we’ve identified who have registered for housing can join,” Shang said.
The University is also now affiliated with the new Courtside Apartments through Property Management Concepts, much like how the University entered an affiliation with Stadium Park Apartments in 2008-09 to help house incoming University freshmen.
Shang said the University will work closely with the apartment complex to make them knowledgeable of University resources available to students.
Although there is a shortage of rooms within the residence halls, the actual number of incoming freshmen waiting for space to open up is unknown because of the fluid nature of the list. One student may sign up as others take their names off the list.
“Housing was full at the end of March,” University spokesperson Phil Weiler said. “These are the people that have decided pretty late in the game that they’re interested in coming to the University of Oregon, and now they’re looking for housing.”
Shang said that the Office of the Dean of Students noticed students were keeping their housing assignments early on and decided to start looking for solutions.
“We decided to be proactive about it and give good service to students,” Shang said. “We want to make sure students, when they call, are given good service. If they call, they’ll usually be given an answer right then and there.”
Despite the affiliation between the University and Courtside Apartments, Shang  emphasized that incoming freshmen choosing to live there must recognize that they will be entering a landlord-tenant relationship.
Shang also said that the University is trying to avoid cases such as this occurring again in the future.
“Ground has been broken for a new residence hall, and the University will closely monitor incoming student interest to make sure we’re planning for the future and appropriate housing is available,” Shang said.
The residence halls have the capacity to hold about 3,700 students, 3,000 of which are freshmen. The University intentionally limited freshmen enrollment to 3,765 in 2009, but in 2008, freshmen enrollment was at a record high of 4,205, which put further stress on University Housing and led to the Stadium Park agreement.
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