6A
Thursday, April 20, 1995
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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Kathleen Driscoll / KANSAN
Regent tour
Sidney Warner, right, a member of the Board of Regents; Carl Locke, dean of engineering, and Crystal Collier, Kansas City, Mo., junior, watch a student working in the computer lab at Learned Hall. The Regents met at the Adams Alumni Center yesterday and will meet again today.
Housing numbers on the up
Halls may get 3,000 contracts needed to avoid deficit
By Brian Vandervliet
Kansan staff writer
For Ken Stoner, director of student housing, 3,000 is a critical number.
That's how many housing contracts the eight campus residence halls need to financially support themselves, he said. Last September, with 2,958 students occupying the halls, that number fell short for the first time.
"This has been a tough budget year," Stoner said. "We need to get back over the 3,000 mark."
In 1985, more than 4,500 students lived in the residence halls. Since that time, one hall has closed, and occupancy has gone down 34 percent.
"Right now, we have 172 more contracts in hand than we had a year ago at this time." Stoner said. "I'm hoping these numbers will hold. We like to think we worked past that scenario, and we're on
But Stoner is encouraged by the number of students who have turned in residence hall contracts for next year.
the upswing."
On April 14 last year, 2,160 contracts had been received. This year by April 13, 2,332 contracts were received. Stoner is optimistic that housing will receive more than 3,000 contracts.
late contracts, he said.
For next year, housing's projected total expenditure is $15.8 million, which was the amount received in revenue last fiscal year. Stoner said that housing could not run a deficit.
If the number of residents remains below 3,000, Stoner said, housing would have to
Michael McShea, Stockton freshman, who lives in McCollum Hall, plans on returning next year. He said that he liked the convenience of living on campus and not having
to cook his own food
make adjustments such as cuts in staffing and services.
"There is absolutely no state money," he said. "The only money we get is from what we charge students for room and board."
But for now, there is no crisis. Stoner said that he expected an additional 1,000 students to turn in housing contracts before next year. More incoming students will turn in contracts and many returning students will turn in
He said that he likely would stay in the halls until he graduates, but he said that the expense caused a problem. With a 19 meal-a-week package, regular room rates next year for McCullum Hall residents will be $3,544, or about $393 a
month.
Stoner defended the room rates by saying that the fee included utilities, cable and food bills that an apartment rate would not.
"That's one thing I've wondered about is the $400 a month," said McShea, who pays for his own room and tuition. "That's a killer."
"You have more expenses when you live off campus," he said. "Even if you think an apartment is cheaper, it actually may not be."