Oak-Elm Residence Hall is being considered for closure in the fall semester due to lack of return rate.

Peter Englin, assistant vice president of Residence Halls, said vacancies have been on the rise this year.

“For fall 2019, we opened with over 800 vacancies,” Englin said. “We hope it improves but we are currently trending to have over 1,500 vacancies across the system next fall. We can save over $750,000 by not operating Oak-Elm.”

The high rate of vacancy in residence halls throughout campus creates a financial issue for Iowa State’s Department of Residence, according to Brittney Rutherford, Communications Manager for Residence Halls. By consolidating those vacancies in Oak-Elm and closing it down, money can be saved by not having to staff that hall or pay utilities.

“When it comes down to decline in numbers, we would have to cut the budget financially,” Rutherford said. “One way to do that without cutting jobs and maintaining student experience would be to cut space.”

Oak-Elm has a low preference rate as opposed to other halls on campus, making it an easier option for closure if needed. Since its construction in 1938, it has not received any major renovations like other residence halls on campus.

“Oak-Elm was in our plans for significant renovations but we had yet to make commitments,” Englin said. “We put investing on pause as we watched enrollment and return rates to on-campus housing.”

Both Rutherford and Englin believe that students living on campus are more likely to have academic success and a better college experience.

“We want to provide students a great on-campus experience,” Rutherford said. “When students live with us, they tend to have higher GPAs, they actually tend to stay at Iowa State and they tend to graduate faster.”

Rutherford emphasized the importance of maintaining a communicative relationship with the Oak-Elm community, regardless of the final answer.

“We have been very transparent with the Oak-Elm community,” Rutherford said. “[We are] letting them know that these are the discussions we are having, letting them know the timeline of the decision, working with the women who are contracted to return to that building and anyone incoming that is preferencing the building.”

Rutherford and the residence hall staff are committed to the student experience and ensuring that they are making a difference in student lives.

“Whatever physical space [student experience] is happening in, […] everyone on our team has that same mission,” Rutherford said. “The experience lives beyond a space. A physical space is home for sure, but home is also a feeling and that is something we are able to create in other areas.”

Regan Davis, sophomore in animal ecology and resident of Oak-Elm, was disheartened to hear the news of the hall’s potential closing.

“When I found out that Oak-Elm was possibly closing, I felt sad for both the students who have already made their memories in the building and for those who will never be able to,” Davis said. “Coming into Iowa State, I was excited to live in Oak-Elm after being told stories from past students who loved their experience in the building. […] Although the news is disappointing, the memories I’ve made, along with the memories of past students, will never be forgotten and the building will forever be a positive part of my college experience.”

If Oak-Elm closes, a new all-female community will be put in another residence hall to cater to the women wanting to live in that environment. Englin said the north end of Helser Hall currently has an all-female community that Oak-Elm residents will be able to move to, as well as future residents that have the female community highly preferred.

A final decision on the closing of Oak-Elm will be made early March, before spring break. “We don’t want to make [the decision] too early, and we don’t want to make it too late,” Rutherford said. “[…] We are having discussions now with the community so they can be prepared.”

Englin wanted to thank all current and past residents of Oak-Elm for their passion in supporting the community, and their concerns demonstrate that the residence hall experience makes a positive difference in students’ lives.