7,000 students move in to residence halls

3:30 p.m., Sept. 9, 2003--It’s a University of Delaware move-in day one freshman parent will never forget, but University residence life officials are calling it one of the “smoothest student check-in days in 20 years.”

Nearly 7,000 new and transfer students and their parents brought everything they believe they’ll need to survive for the next four months into residence halls Sunday and Monday creating chaos for parents but a new high in efficiency for UD employees.

“This was probably the smoothest opening I’ve observed in the 20 years I’ve been with the University,” Linda Carey, director of student housing, said. Approximately 3,161 freshman and 3,881 transfer and returning students moved into the 6,898 rooms the University makes available for the fall and spring semesters.

Carey said there were virtually no complaints or problems except for an overzealous freshman parent who, while trying to move his daughter’s bed, sheared off a fire sprinkler head, flooding her room, the floor below and nine other rooms with water that had been lying undisturbed in the sprinkler system.

“It happened at 10 a.m. on Sunday, and the crew got to the building immediately. Using wet vacuums, they cleaned up the whole thing before anyone knew what happened. Everything was dry by noon,” Kathleen Kerr, director of residence life, said.

What is a problem every year are students who finalize their housing late and for whom there is no room. This year, there were approximately 152 students more than there was space. When that happens, students living in two-person rooms, must triple up.

“We add a desk, chair and bed and bunk the original two beds. Students share the dressers and closets,” Carey said.

But, a University program called, “Three’s Company,” helps ease the close quarters. Students who agree to live three to a room receive a 25 percent rebate on their room until the extra person is relocated, plus, they are given a handsome blue fleece blanket with gold embroided letters spelling out University of Delaware and a news letter specifically for extended housing residents.

Carey said Residence Life should be able to accommodate all of the students within the next few weeks.

Article by Barbara Garrison

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