By Michelle King
A new set of windows for Porter Hall at Buffalo State College is one of many recent renovations to improve the quality of living on campus.
The windows came at a cost of $670,000 provided through bonds borrowed by The Dormitory Authority State of New York and have required over a year of planning. In the dorm, the windows are designed for better energy conservation and are tinted to shield sunlight.
Kris Kaufman, director of Residence Life at BSC, said each year something new needs to be addressed in the dorms on campus.
“It’s never ending,” he said. “Every year we have to spend money on many projects that you can not easily see the difference. Like when we replaced the outside brick in the Towers a few years ago.”
Kaufman said the highest recent expense has been the replacement of elevators in Tower 2 which cost $1.2 million. The improvements, he said, have also led to a slight cost increase for those living on campus.
The number of students living on campus from the 2000-01 school year to the 2004-05 year has risen from 1,980 to 2,280, according to the BSC Office of Institutional Research. The numbers represent an 8 percent increase, while the price has risen consistently each year.
Kaufman said adding more aesthetic appeal on campus also leads to an overall higher freshmen enrollment.
“There have been a number of studies that potential students look at facilities in residence halls,” he said. “We saw the biggest improvement (in enrollment) when Moore Complex was rebuilt.”
Living on campus is required for most freshman and sophomore students who:
- Are under 21 years of age
- Live with a parent within 35 miles of campus
- Are not married
- Are transfer students
- Are not veterans
After students have received 57 credit hours at BSC they can live off campus.
For more information about campus housing visit the Residence Life Web site at http://www.buffalostate.edu/residencelife/
Source: The Buffalo State College Office of Institutional Research
Chart by Michelle King
Michelle King can be contacted at kingmk23@mail.buffalostate.edu
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