With the increase in enrollment and more and more students committing to live on campus in the upcoming academic year, Colorado State University changed its original on-campus housing and dining plan. 

According to Laura Giles, Deputy Executive Director of HDS, Housing & Dining Services estimates that approximately 4,500 students will be accommodated in the dormitories during the budget phase of the 2021-22 school year. 

The initial plan to deal with this low enrollment rate was to close Westfall and Edwards dormitories, reduce the capacity of Allison Hall, and open up half of the building to single-person housing. According to Giles, spoons, soups, salads and sandwiches in Alison Hall are also expected to be closed during the school year. 

With the development of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lifting of restrictions, the estimated number of HDS occupants has gradually soared to approximately 6,100 students. 

The surge in enrollment has created sufficient housing demand, thus canceling many of the decisions originally made in the spring. Edwards Hall will now be fully open next semester. Allison Hall will open half of its rooms as double rooms and the other half as single rooms. Westfall Hall will be open to new students in the fall semester, but this may change with expected vacancies in other buildings. 

"We don't let students show up on school day or a few weeks before school starts, (and) say,'CSU is not for me,'" Giles said. "Although we try to embrace them and provide help, we know that students need to make the decision that suits them best." 

HDS facilities director Carolyn Bell said that these vacancies will be used to provide accommodation for residents of Westfall Hall during the construction project. 

"We plan to replace all the windows in Westfall — and some other small items, such as the carpet in the student room, (already) on the list — and (we plan to) update some lighting and some corridor work," Bell said.

According to Bell, the main focus is the renovation of the windows in Westfall Hall. Due to the pandemic, the supply of materials needed for the project was scarce, causing the schedule to be delayed, but residents were allowed to stay in Westfall Hall while HDS purchased materials. The facilities department now plans to replace the windows in Westfall Hall during the winter break and spring semester. 

We are really happy that the students are back and the decline is even greater than last year. "-Laura Giles, Deputy Executive Director of Housing and Food Services

Bell said that regardless of the age of some buildings on campus, they are considered safe. Westfall has passed a number of different assessments by the construction company and the university's environmental health services. 

"There are no obvious signs of structural damage, so even during the COVID(-19) period and with limited financial resources, we will focus all projects on life safety," Bell said.

As for the canteens, except for Allison Hall, CSU will open all canteens before the pandemic. This means that cafeterias on campus and on-campus convenience stores at Durrell Center and Ram's Horn Dining Centre will all be open. According to Liz Poore, director of residential food services, RAMwich outside Braiden Hall will also be open. 

"Our plan today is that our dining center will be open to students so that they can eat in the dining center instead of the take-out we had to do last year," Poore said. 

Even with a surge in registrations, shutting down Spoons is still the final choice for HDS. According to Poore, the contract for Spoons to open a store in Allison Hall is about to expire, and Spoons is only open five days a week, which means it has the least impact on employee unemployment. 

"You can still get Spoons through your meal plan; you just need to go to the (Lori Student Center) to do this," Poole said. "When Spoons are closed, the space will be used as a possible catering or event center venue."

In general, HDS is optimistic about the development of students in the school this year. 

Giles said: "We are really happy that the students are back, and the decline is greater than last year." "We are doing our best to support students during the pandemic, and we will continue to do so in the coming fall." 

You can contact Isaiah Dennings via news@collegian.com or Twitter @isaaiah_dennings.

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