USM housing at capacity for semester

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - USM is among the many colleges in the U.S. that ran into problems with on-campus housing this year.

Because of the influx of new and returning students, Associate Vice President Dr. Sirena Cantrell said it was challenging to accommodate everyone on campus.

“I think we have seen an increase in students who want to live on campus,” said Dr. Cantrell. “We did have a waiting list for this fall semester. We worked hard to house everybody that we could, and we’ve seen an increase in students—new students, transfer students, returning students, it’s not just one population.

It seems to be a mixture of transfers and returners and new students wanting to live on campus.”

Students who live on campus are able to immerse themselves in the Southern Miss Culture. Director of Housing and Reslife Teresa Crum said the goal is to keep students on campus to give them the best experience possible.

“For us, it’s about the student experience,” said Crum. “We find that students who live on campus for at least a year, are more likely to get involved on campus, more likely to attend athletic events, use our resources on campus and that makes them more successful long term.”

Hattiesburg Hall was opened for this semester, but Mississippi Hall was closed because it’s in need of renovations. For now, leaders say they have to work with the spaces they have available.

“I know that our executive director of housing is on the strategic master planning committee and we’re working towards maximizing the space we have, and then looking at renovating your older ones such as Mississippi and Hattiesburg halls because those need to be upgraded,” Cantrell said.

For more information about USM housing, visit USM Housing and Reslife.

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