All students who had previously been living at nearby hotels for the fall semester have been reassigned to traditional dorms.
According to Shelia Pinckney, associate director of University Residence Halls and Apartments, space in UB dorm buildings is free up each spring due to student cancellations, transfers, late registration and dropouts.
However, the need for new on-campus housing grows each year as freshman enrollment increases.
This school year, fewer than 100 students lived in the Comfort Inn during the fall semester, Pinckney said. The Hampton Inn was used for part of September, but those students were moved back on campus within a few weeks. One year, however, both hotels were required for the entire semester.
According to administrators at UB, plans to alleviate the housing shortage on campus are in the works.
"A housing advisory group made up of senior administrators meets every two weeks to consider future construction," said Joseph Krakowiak, director of University Residence Halls and Apartments.
The advisory group is a part of UB 2020, the university's master planning program, which includes a two-year timeline for construction.
According to Krakowiak, there are several proposals for projects, but nothing is certain.
"One of the principles we are discussing is 'connection,'" Krakowiak said.
"Connection" means making sure that campus services can adequately reach the prospective dormitory site. For example, the prospective dormitory sites must be close enough to academic buildings, he said.
The university is considering sites on both North and South Campus, he said, and officials plan to reach an official decision in April.
As for the fiscal aspect of the plan, Krakowiak said that the housing organization is self-funded. UB finances the project through the Dorm Authority of New York, or with bonding through the UB Foundation.
Student Experiences in Hotels
According to several students who lived in the hotels this fall semester, life at the Comfort Inn or Marriott Hotel presented difficulties, but many of the problems became manageable over time.
"Initially there are complaints from parents and students," said Pinckney. "But based on feedback, students liked it after they moved in. They were able to adjust."
"People made the best of the situation," said Resident Advisor Matt Bertrand. "Some people even requested to live there during spring semester."
At the beginning, Bertrand said, some students were worried they would not be able to meet people. However, most were able to adjust.
Jessica Grimshaw, a junior speech and hearing science major, lived at the Comfort Inn for the entire semester.
"It was pretty easy to meet people," she said. "All my friends are from the hotel. It would have been hard if we didn't live there all semester because it's a big transition to the dorms."
The university aims to provide students in hotels with the same services they would receive in on-campus housing, Pinckney said. Most rooms accommodated two students, with each room providing a bathroom, desk, TV, bed, and dresser. Additionally, a shuttle ran from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., and laundry facilities and lounge areas were provided, Grimshaw said. RAs and professional staff members also resided in the hotels.
One drawback, according to Sarah Oliver, sophomore student in the School of Management, was the absence of kitchens for people without meal plans. She said those with meal plans had to come on campus to use them.
"People tried to do the best with what they had," she said.
Oliver lived at the hotel due to a leak in her dorm room.
Students also cited the separation from campus and classes as another inconvenience.
"I enjoyed living there but I was ready to leave," Grimshaw said, explaining that she had registered before the deadline for housing deposits but was still placed in the hotel. "They are definitely going to need to build more (dormitories)."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
