NEWS RELEASE
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS
AUG. 25, 2011
CONTACT: Jeff Pitchford, vice president for university and government relations, at jeffp@uca.edu or (501) 450-3185.
Venita Jenkins, associate director of media relations, at vjenkins@uca.edu or (501) 450-5114.
UCA Residence Halls Over Capacity
CONWAY – Officials at the University of Central Arkansas have set up temporary housing spaces to accommodate an overflow of freshmen.
Residence halls are over capacity for the fall 2011. Housing officials report an occupancy rate of 100.69 percent. Temporary spaces have been set up in Bernard, Carmichael, Conway, Hughes, and State halls.
“We are very pleased,” said Rick McCollum, associate vice president for housing and contract services. “It is challenging, but it is a good problem to have.”
The occupancy rate of university-owned apartments stands at 98 percent. There are 3,547 students living in campus housing, according to Housing & Residence Life staff. UCA can house up to 3,565 students.
UCA’s larger freshmen class is being reflected in the housing numbers, said Stephanie McBrayer, Director of Housing & Residence Life.
“The Central Housing Office staff did an exceptional job calling students over the summer to make sure they were still coming to UCA so our ‘no show’ numbers should be lower and we were able to better plan on the front end,” McBrayer said. “The staff also worked diligently to try to accommodate roommate requests and building preferences which can be challenging in an overflow situation.”
Students who have applied for housing have until Friday to check in. Those who do not claim their space by then will be considered a “no show.” Students who are currently in temporary spaces will be moved to those rooms. Classes at UCA started on Thursday.
“It is wonderful to see the residence halls filled to capacity,” she said. “Living on campus is a very rewarding experience and provides students with opportunities to get connected to UCA and to grow and learn outside of the classroom. I am thankful to see all of the students choosing to take advantage of all we have to offer at UCA.”