Cobb Students Living On Edge of Campus

Posted on Aug. 19, 2005

Renovations to Cobb Residence Hall won’t be complete until the first week of October, meaning 389 students have been temporarily displaced – way displaced. The students, 114 freshmen, 26 transfers and 246 returnees, are living on Baity Hill, a new married student housing complex along Mason Farm Road behind the Smith Center.

The temporary accommodations have put six students in a two-bedroom apartment or four students in a one-bedroom apartment. Each student has one bed, one desk and one desk chair. Two students share a dresser.

Rick Bradley, assistant director of housing and residential education, said the department has been fielding”a lot of questions from parents” seeking information about transportation to campus, storage, furnishings and other concerns.

While at Baity Hill, students will receive a rent credit equivalent to one half of the prorated room rent.

“It’s our way of recognizing that it’s not a situation that we wanted to be in,” Bradley said. “We wanted to apologize for the inconvenience.”

According to the housing department’s Web site, students initially were notified about the relocation by e-mail on Aug. 4. Housing and Residential Education sent follow-up e-mail messages on Aug. 5 and 10.

Moving assistance will be provided to help students relocate once Cobb opens, although students were encouraged in the e-mails “to pack light.”

An additional 35 incoming freshmen women were assigned temporary housing in Granville Towers due to the campus’ general housing shortage.

With Morrison dorm closed for repairs, Bradley said there are “about 100 less spaces than what we’ve had in past years.”

Housing updates are available online.

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