AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University's Department of Residence will close two residence halls and a dining center in May 2005 as part of an effort to cut expenses by $2.7 million.
Wallace and Wilson residence halls, located in the Towers Residence Association south of ISU's central campus, will close at the end of this academic year at a projected savings of $2.1 million. The two residence halls and the Wallace-Wilson dining center will remain available (as needed) for conference accommodations during the summer, but will not be used for student housing during the 2005-06 academic year.
The Department of Residence will continue to examine its operation to identify an additional $600,000 in savings, Vice President for Student Affairs Tom Hill said.
"It is too early to know where additional cuts may occur, but we are looking at every possible way to achieve savings without compromising services to students," Hill said.
Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Holcomb, who also is interim director of the Department of Residence, cited lower enrollment at ISU as one reason for the budget cut. Current enrollment at Iowa State is 26,380, which is 1,000 fewer students than last fall.
About 500 students live in Wallace and Wilson Halls, which can accommodate up to 1,200 residents. Residents are upper-division students (typically, sophomores through graduate students) who have private rooms.
Hill said the announcement is being made now - eight months in advance - so that the university can work with those students affected to address their concerns and find other suitable housing options within the Department of Residence.
"We will continue to do everything possible to serve our student residents, yet at the same time, we must take the necessary steps to balance the Department of Residence budget," Hill said. "As we work to relocate students to other accommodations, we'll try very hard to keep groups of neighbors together and honor the strong sense of community that the students in the Towers neighborhood have created."
Affected students and 17 ISU employees who work at the Wallace-Wilson complex were notified of the pending closure on Tuesday evening. Employees are scheduled to meet with Department of Residence administrators, Human Resources staff, and representatives from ISU's Professional & Scientific (P&S) Council and the AFSCME labor union on Wednesday.
"We hope to absorb employees throughout the Department of Residence or elsewhere within the university system," Hill said.