The number of students signing up to live in University Housing has spiked from last year, according to Housing officials.
University Housing spokesman Peter Logan said the number of current residents who have signed up to live in the residence halls for the 2010-2011 school year has increased by about 13 percent from this time last year.
So far, 3,778 students have signed up for housing. Last year at this time 3,348 students had registered, according to Logan.
Students interested in living in one of the University’s learning communities or theme communities have begun selecting specific rooms. Remaining students will begin choosing their rooms on Feb. 16, according to Logan.
The increase in the number of students signing up may be attributed to the addition of North Quadrangle, a new campus residence hall opening fall 2010 on State Street between E. Washington Street and E. Huron Street, Logan said. North Quad is the University’s first new residence hall in more than 40 years.
Logan said North Quad, with a capacity of 460 students, is now full for next school year.
“(University Housing) anticipated that North Quad would be a popular choice for a lot of students, but we are pleased that it, in fact, has garnered a real interest,” Logan said.
North Quad is reserved for students at the sophomore level and above. Logan said the hope is that the upperclassmen living in North Quad will serve as mentors and leaders within the residence halls.
Logan said that this year’s increase is also due to University Housing’s emphasis on developing the programmatic and residential experiences in campus residence halls. He added that what distinguishes University housing from private housing is the “sense of community” students can experience by living in a dormitory setting.
LSA sophomore Michael Moore said that he plans to live in North Quad next fall to continue his search for the “perfect” residence hall experience.
Moore will be part of the Global Scholars Program learning community, and he said that he is anxious to live with roommates of different cultural backgrounds from himself.
Overall, Moore said he hopes North Quad will provide him with the sense of community he has been longing for in his two years at the University.
North Quad, which will be home to the Global Scholars Program and the Max Kade German Residence Program, will strive to advance students’ appreciation for multiculturalism through formal and informal learning, according to the University Housing website.
Other popular residence halls for returning students have been South Quadrangle, West Quadrangle, East Quadrangle, Mosher-Jordan and Alice Lloyd Residence Halls. Logan said he expects these halls to remain popular choices during the upcoming open-registration process.