The Department of Residence’s Master Plan of placing students in class level “neighborhoods” will go into effect in the fall of 1999, when Maple Hall reopens its doors to students.

“[Maple] will be open to new and returning students, both male and female,” said Randy Alexander, director of the Department of Residence.

Since Maple will be used as a test site for the neighborhood concept, 75 percent of the vacancies will be held for incoming students, while the remaining 25 percent will go to the upperclassmen.

“We are sort of fixing the mix of freshman and upper class [students] at what it will be eventually,” Alexander said. “We are going to explain [to the upperclassmen] about the community and the goals, and they can apply to live there.”

Although the Department of Residence currently is determining how to select the occupants of Maple Hall, all students will get the chance to begin preferencing following spring break.

David Popelka, director of business operations, said preferencing will be a two-step process beginning with the distribution of contracts immediately after students’ return. Contracts will be due to the hall desk by Friday, March 26.

“Based on the contract, we will enter all of that information into our new housing system,” he said.

If residents return their contracts, they will retain the space they already occupy. Those residents who do not return a contract by March 26 acknowledge that they will not be returning, and their spaces will be released.

“The second part is the new part,” Popelka said. “‘Step Inside’ is a program that will function through the university’s AccessPlus information system.”

Popelka said AccessPlus will contain a menu item for the residence halls that will allow students to select new rooms or roommates.

“If [students] are not changing rooms, then they don’t have to do anything after they return their contract,” Popelka said. “The only student who needs to use this new system is someone who wants to change roommates or room assignments.”

The “Step Inside” program will include criteria such as smoking preference, single room preference and air conditioning preference, located within the system from the contracts.

Access to the system will be based on student classification. Seniors will gain access beginning April 12, juniors April 13, sophomores April 14 and freshmen, which is the largest group, April 19.

“Once the student has access to the system, they will have continual access other than on Sundays,” Popelka said.

Popelka said “Step Inside” will be similar to the touch-tone registration system, since students will be able to keep trying for the spaces they desire.

The system will be accessible Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The system will shut down May 7 at 5 p.m.

Popelka said by April 12, all room assignments for Maple will be assigned.

“We usually have almost 45 to 50 percent of spaces open because that many [students] have graduated or have chosen to live elsewhere,” Popelka said. “We will have lots of vacancies.”

Popelka is “excited” about the new online system, and he hopes to see the system expand next year to include year-round room changes.

“[We hope] to have all new students … be able to make room assignments from their home,” he said.