For the second year in a row, students planning to stay in Taylor Place, Arizona State University’s downtown residential hall, were temporarily housed in a hotel near the Downtown Phoenix campus while University Housing sorted out additional rooms.
Ten students from the Downtown Phoenix campus were checked into the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel on Aug. 16. By Aug. 18, half of the students were placed into rooms in Taylor Place. The remaining students were moved into Taylor Place by Aug. 20, in time for the start of classes on Aug. 21.
“There really wasn’t an overflow issue for the Downtown Phoenix campus this year,” said Marshall Terrill, the media relations officer for the Downtown Phoenix campus. “This year the overflow was in Tempe.”
Last year, Taylor Place was overbooked by 10 percent, leaving 120 students without a room. That number dropped significantly this year.
“Historically, ASU housing trends have illustrated a 1-3 percent cancellation or ‘no-show rate’ for students who change their minds regarding their campus housing assignment and fail to notify the university,” said Dr. Georgeana Montoya, the dean of students at the Downtown Phoenix campus.
University Housing opted to place students at the Sheraton this year as opposed to the Westin Phoenix Downtown, where overflow students were housed last year.
Arizona State University chose the Sheraton due its proximity to campus and the amenities it offered to students, Montoya said. The university paid $109 per night, per room housing two students.
Arizona State University freshman Laurin Skinner was one of the ten students who stayed in a room at the Sheraton and did not receive a room until the day before classes started.
“I was okay with being placed into a hotel,” Skinner said. “I shared a room with my current roommate. My mom on the other hand wasn’t. She wasn’t pleased Housing left so many questions unanswered like where we would eat, how we would get around, or when we would be moved in.”
Skinner mentioned housing offered her to take a room in Tower Two versus her original preference for Tower One.
“I had received a call early Tuesday of last week asking if I wouldn’t mind taking a private room, shared bath in Tower Two,” Skinner said. “I passed, because I really wanted my original pick for Tower One. Plus, they were going to charge me the extra money to stay in that tower. I was only going to take that room if I absolutely had to.”
To combat the inconvenience, the students were equipped with resources to ensure they were as involved as possible with the welcome week activities. Still, Skinner said the experience hindered her ability to fully partake in university-wide events.
“The whole experience wasn’t bad, but it was a little stressful trying to take part in the activities because we weren’t right there in Taylor Place,” Skinner said.
As Arizona State University grows in size and the number of incoming freshmen continues to increase, the need for additional housing is a growing concern.
Montoya said the university will review enrollment numbers and evaluate the housing needs of students for the Fall 2015 semester.
She added that there are additional plans for housing downtown but there are no specific details at the moment.
Contact the reporter at Kaci.Demarest@asu.edu
