A larger number of next year’s freshmen will have the opportunity to make a “fresh start” in the residence halls.

Maple, Eaton, Friley and Helser Halls will all participate in the Fresh Start program beginning in the 2003-04 academic year.

Fresh Start halls are targeted to meet the needs of first-year students through specialized programming and policies but are open to everyone. The policy was originally put into effect in Maple Hall in 1999. It was extended to Eaton Hall during the Fall 2002 semester.

Residents who participate in the Fresh Start programs will have room-preference priority over those who choose not to participate, said Randy Alexander, director of the Department of Residence.

Alexander said Iowa State chose not to have the all-freshmen residence halls some universities have. “Freshmen look to upperclassmen as role models,” he said. Informal learning and mentoring are ways upperclassmen influence freshmen, he said.

A new policy reserving 75 percent of rooms per house in the residence halls for incoming freshmen will be put into effect next fall but is not directly related to the Fresh Start program, said Kate Bruns, communication specialist for the Department of Residence.

The remaining 25 percent of rooms per house will be reserved to upperclassmen, she said. If upperclassmen cannot stay in the house they currently reside in, there is a possibility of moving to another house within the same residence hall. The policy will affect all halls in Union Drive and Richardson Court, she said. The space left for returning students will be given on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The new policy has been meeting some opposition from upper-class residents. Students living on Fairchild House in Roberts Hall have written letters to several people, including Alexander.

Alexander said he has received two letters from students concerning the policy. The concern students have stems from the possibility that more upperclassmen wish to return than spots available for them, he said. “Students feel there is a fairness issue,” he said.

Andrew Holtz, junior in mechanical engineering and resident of Fairchild House, was one author of a letter that has been sent to university officials.

“The return rate average for my floor is extremely high and most think this is the reason for the high levels of activity and leadership expressed from Fairchild residents,” Holtz wrote in his letter.

“I don’t think it is right to force those upperclassmen out of the dorms that have a minimal income and are barely getting by as it is,” he wrote.

Alexander said he believes the policy will impact students less than they think. The department will have houses where the number of requests is higher than the number of available rooms, he said. The lowest number of upper-class students will be 25 percent of the house, Alexander said. The department will likely have more space than necessary, he said.

Eaton Hall is the only exception, Alexander said. There has been an overwhelming request to live in Eaton, he said.

Richardson Court Association and Union Drive Association offer the most space to accommodate the number of freshmen Iowa State will have next fall, Alexander said. The houses located in RCA and UDA will be able to house a good number of upperclassmen, along with a large number of freshmen, he said.

The majority of students will be able to return to the house of their choice, he said. Alexander said he is anticipating some students not being able to return to their house. “The DOR will really be watching this,” Alexander said.

The department feels there is value in making different neighborhoods for different ages, he said. The DOR wants to impact student academic success through the implementation of the program, Alexander said.

Community advisers will replace resident assistants in Fresh Start halls. Residents who choose Fresh Start must participate in one or two community service projects, join a campus organization and attend one or two events that will add to personal development, Alexander said. Personal development events include guest speakers, concerts, plays and athletics. The required elements are made to better the freshman experience, he said.

Along with the programming requirements, Fresh Start resident halls will be substance-free and must adhere to visitation rules. The rules include a 24-hour visitation policy in the common areas. Limited visitation hours will be held Sundays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Visitors will be allowed on weekends from 9 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Upperclassmen who wish to return to student housing, but not live in residence halls comprised of 75 percent freshmen, may choose from Wallace-Wilson Residence Halls, Frederiksen Court and apartments at University Village.

Information on the Fresh Start program and requirements for upperclassman housing may be found at www.iastate.edu/~dor/ living/urh.html.