By Kayla Regan ‘17
Staff Writer
As the spring semester is well underway, the Merrimack College community is already talking about housing for next year. Stereotypically, this time of year causes conflicts between students and the Office of Residence Life. With limited housing and the desire to live with friends, there is often uproar about this process from students.
Student Megan Canfield said, “When housing selection comes around it causes me and all my friends stress, as if we need any more drama in our lives.”
Because of this, the Office of Residence Life has implemented a new housing selection process for this upcoming year. They implemented this change based on feedback from the Student Government Association, their Residence Life Committee, multiple focus groups, and surveys. The Office of Residence Life explains that that this new process is a hybrid online and in-person model. It will be completed over nine nights based on type of housing and total occupancy. For example, the first night will be St. Thomas and St. Ann 4 person apartments. Students participating in this will form groups by registering through the Residence Life portal on myMack. Then these groups will select their specific housing in person.
This process is beginning on April 4, 2016. Registration happens from midnight to noon each day, except April 15, which only goes until 10:00am. Students can register for any and all rounds until they select housing.
The in person component of the selection process will begin at 8pm on all nights except April 15th, when it will begin at 1:00pm. All groups will report to the first floor lounge of the Sakowich Campus Center and numbers will be called from there.
The Office of Residence Life is hoping that based off of their feedback, students will enjoy this slower process. The Director of Residence Life said, “We hope to give students peace of mind by having groups decided ahead of selection, eliminating the possibility of being removed from a group with little or no notice.”
For those who still have questions about this process, staff members will be stationed in Cascia each day of the Housing Selection Process to help with registration, to answer questions, and assist students. There are also helpful videos and resources under the Housing Selection tab on the Residence Life website.
