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Undergraduates get more housing
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November 13, 2002
The construction of 500 single-residential rooms for students fresh out of high school at Simon Fraser University will alleviate a huge waiting list and increase the university’s competitive footing. Over the last several years, SFU has put a lot of effort into recruiting students nationally and internationally. "We’ve been generating a lot of interest," says Jeff Macnab, the director of recruiting at SFU. "But promising out-of-province students often don’t accept our offer of admission if we can’t guarantee them on campus accommodation. We need to meet that need if we want to attract high quality undergraduates."
Regulations giving priority to exchange, returning and scholarship-holding students resulted in 500 new undergraduates being wait-listed this fall. Three thousand freshmen initially expressed interest in living in SFU’s less than 800 single-student undergraduate units. "For many first year undergrads their first choice is to live on campus, even if they are from BC or the Lower Mainland," says Jan Fialkowski, director of residence and housing at SFU. "Given the stresses of academic life, proximity to classes and information technology, such as high-speed Internet, is important. If they live on campus they have both."
Facilities management’s plan for two new buildings with 500 new undergraduate dormitory rooms, shared washrooms and a dining hall will help alleviate the wait. SFU’s board of governors has approved construction of the new buildings (200,000 square feet combined). Construction should be underway by the end of February, once a building permit is obtained from the city of Burnaby.
All undergraduates in the new residences will subscribe to a mandatory meal plan, which caters to different appetites, tastes and budgets. "What we’re trying to do here is ensure first time university students can concentrate on their academics and networking and not have to worry about grocery shopping or making well balanced meals," explains Fialkowski.
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CONTACT
Jeff Macnab, 604.291.3113, jeff_macnab@sfu.ca
Jan Fialkowski, 604.291.4535, jfialkow@sfu.ca
Carol Thorbes, Media & PR, 604.291.3035, cthorbes@sfu.ca
Regulations giving priority to exchange, returning and scholarship-holding students resulted in 500 new undergraduates being wait-listed this fall. Three thousand freshmen initially expressed interest in living in SFU’s less than 800 single-student undergraduate units. "For many first year undergrads their first choice is to live on campus, even if they are from BC or the Lower Mainland," says Jan Fialkowski, director of residence and housing at SFU. "Given the stresses of academic life, proximity to classes and information technology, such as high-speed Internet, is important. If they live on campus they have both."
Facilities management’s plan for two new buildings with 500 new undergraduate dormitory rooms, shared washrooms and a dining hall will help alleviate the wait. SFU’s board of governors has approved construction of the new buildings (200,000 square feet combined). Construction should be underway by the end of February, once a building permit is obtained from the city of Burnaby.
All undergraduates in the new residences will subscribe to a mandatory meal plan, which caters to different appetites, tastes and budgets. "What we’re trying to do here is ensure first time university students can concentrate on their academics and networking and not have to worry about grocery shopping or making well balanced meals," explains Fialkowski.
—30—
CONTACT
Jeff Macnab, 604.291.3113, jeff_macnab@sfu.ca
Jan Fialkowski, 604.291.4535, jfialkow@sfu.ca
Carol Thorbes, Media & PR, 604.291.3035, cthorbes@sfu.ca