SPU levels out housing costs
Housing format shifts to create first, second year dorms
April 1, 2021
Students of Seattle Pacific University received emails on March 15 and March 31 detailing the new changes to the format of on-campus housing.
In the new framework, the housing rates are based on the number of occupants regardless of the style of the hall:
Single occupant rooms will cost $9,135 per year
Double occupancy rooms will cost $7,350
Triple/Quad occupancy rooms will cost $6,900
The new prices fall between the old prices for communal and suite-style dorms.
“If price points are all the same in Ashton, Arnett, Hill, Emerson and Moyer, then that’s awesome because people can then make decisions on what type of building or ‘do I want suite-style?’ or ‘do I want to be on a floor with a lot of other people?’ Those factors become more important than the price,” said Dean of Student Community Chuck Strawn.
The new housing plan simplifies housing options to three choices. Residents will now only be able to choose between single, double, and triple/quadruple occupancy rooms. Dorm choice will be limited, as the University will move to divide dorm halls by grade.
Ashton, Moyer, and Arnett will now be first year dorms, while Emerson and Hill will be reserved for second year and up. Before this new plan, rooms in suite-style dorms (Arnett and Emerson) cost more than rooms in communal dorm halls (Ashton, Hill, and Moyer).
The meal plan system is also being updated in the coming year. Instead of offering a certain number of meal swipes per week, meals will be sold on a per quarter basis. Residents will now be able to choose between 200, 145, 110, or 75 meal swipes per quarter. 50 block and 25 block meal swipe plans will also still be offered for students leaving off campus or in apartments.
In the most recent email, a new update to the SPU housing experience is that each hall will have new leadership positions. For the freshman halls, there will be Peer Academic Coaches (PACs).
“Ashton, Arnett, and Moyer Halls will be focused on first-year students and will include programming to support their transition to college and strengthen their academic skills,” Office of Student Life wrote in the email announcement.
According to the email, upperclassmen living in Hill and Emerson will have Peer Career Advisors (PCAs) in the resident halls to help them “explore their career and vocation as they prepare to choose their major or engage with internship opportunities.”
These developments come along with SPU’s Tuition Reimagined, where tuition will be reduced by nearly 25% in hopes of reaching more students.
“These changes allow us to make the University’s costs clearer,” wrote Mouttet in the email announcement.
Ehirtu • Apr 1, 2021 at 4:05 pm
As an alumni, this makes me sad because the halls are going to lose the traditions and community that have been going on for decades through each hall and even each floor. Those traditions are carried on by sophomores returning to their dorm floors after their freshman year because of the community they experienced by having mixed grade dorms. Also, unless they are requiring sophomores to return to the dorms, the higher grades won’t want to come back because there won’t be the community. A big loss for SPU.