As of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, February 27, there is no space left in Stevens Leased Housing (SLH).
Wednesday was only the first of two selection days for “sophomore” students, meaning all students given a Thursday selection time were immediately added to the wait list. Additionally, all first-year SLH applicants were automatically added to the wait list. However, not all freshmen are considered “first-year” students.
A student is considered a first year only if they do not meet the credit requirement to be considered a sophomore. As a result, this has caused some discrepancies. One first-year (by entry year) student was given a 10 a.m. Wednesday selection time, allowing them to receive an apartment before some sophomores. Another first-year student The Stute talked to was similarly given a sophomore selection time, though it was late enough that they still ended up on the wait list.
The Stute spoke to one sophomore (by year) student who was given a 2:30 p.m. selection time on Wednesday. They said that they logged onto the site half an hour early to see what was open, and were disappointed to find only one spot. After solving a problem with their roommate group, the student was unable to reserve the room since they were now searching as a pair. At 10 a.m. on Thursday, the student received an email from
Residential and Dining Services saying that they were guaranteed housing, but that they could now drop out of the housing system without the normal penalty. The email said, “We are currently securing additional apartments in Hoboken,” but did not make it clear if the student would have any choice in where they would be placed once that happened.
Prior to housing selection, the Office of Residential and Dining Services decided not to renew the 1700 Park leases. In a email sent Friday, February 22, Catherine McGuire informed 1700 Park residents that, “Due to a low number of housing applications, Stevens will need to reduce its leased housing inventory. Stevens will not renew leases at 1700 Park Avenue.” The students who received this email were then given two options since they had already attempted to retain their rooms: the ability to select another available SLH (or have the school select one), or the ability to cancel the housing contract without financial penalty.
Additionally, the class of 2022 was the largest in recent memory, bringing in roughly 1,000 students this past fall, up from roughly 800 in fall 2017. This caused more individuals to demand housing with a lower amount of leased housing available.
The Office of Residential and Dining Services was unable to provide The Stute with a statement by the time of publication.
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