Hundreds of new students lodged by LSU Residential Life are being housed in alternative and non-university complexes to accommodate the university’s ever growing student enrollment figures.

Between 2020 and 2023, LSU’s freshman enrollment has increased by 12%. Executive director of ResLife Peter Trentacoste said that he expects this year’s class of freshman is on track to be the largest on record.

“When we saw the numbers coming in, it looked like we were going to be a few hundred beds short,” said Peter Trentacoste, Executive Director of ResLife. “Instead of saying the word crisis, I use the word ‘crunch.’”

The university is using LSU’s Cook Hotel, the off-campus apartment complex Ion and the off-campus Sonesta hotel. Aside from Ion, these accommodations are meant to be temporary, Trentacoste said.

ResLife offered students $3,000 to live off campus for the fall, to combat the influx of students. Ten percent of those that were asked took the deal. Trentacoste said that the $3,000 incentive for students to live off campus was only good for the fall semester – there will be no scholarship for living off-campus in the spring. 

After that, ResLife reserved some temporary spaces – 30 at The Cook Hotel for a two-week period (this is the second year ResLife has used the space) and 50 spaces at off-campus Sonesta hotel for several weeks. The goal is to have those students moved onto campus as soon as possible, Trentacoste said. 

At Ion, ResLife obtained 104 spaces for permanent freshman settlement. 

“LSU’s presence was not known to us until the Ion sent us an email in the beginning of August about the changes,” said animal science sophomore Tamia Thomas. “So far no rules have been set in place but, there is security in the building.” 

Freshmen are also housed at East and West Campus Apartments as well as Nicholson Gateway, and there have been residential assistants placed in all of these locations.

“I was originally supposed to be in East Campus Apartments,” said psychology sophomore Talise Beverly. “But they needed the space for freshmen, so they kicked us out.”

On June 27, many of the students who already had on-campus apartments reserved for the fall semester were emailed by the housing administration with an offer to live in the more expensive, stylish Nicholson Gateway Apartments.

NGW apartments start at $5,155 for a four bed four bath compared to a $4,790 four bed four bath in WCA. Beverly now pays $5,845 for her three bed three bed per semester versus $5,215 in her original housing unit.

ResLife has recently completed some renovations on campus to create more dorm space, like the Pentagon Community’s conversion from kitchens to dorm rooms.

“I remember when I was living in West Laville there were four people living in the study room,” Beverly said, “They had turned the study rooms into rooms, so we had fewer places to study.” 

‘Hanging on by a thread’

Beverly’s comments reflect a wider belief held by many students: the increase in student numbers is alarming.

“They’re doing an injustice to not only the freshman but us as upperclassmen,” said criminology senior Chloe Bass. “If there was already no parking, and buildings like Coates have air conditioning units are barely hanging on by a thread, why would they think that admitting more freshmen than the previous year was a good idea?” 

Bass said she feels bad for the freshman living off campus. 

“Not only were the dorms humbling experiences, but they forced you to make friends with people not only in your major but around the university,” she said, adding that freshmen being located in these off-campus apartments and hotels “closes them off and isolates them to just themselves.”

ResLife is opening the room change process Sept. 13, and housing will be able to prorate any changes that happen after that point. Any students that wish to move onto campus or are unhappy with their current room assignment will be able to change their situation starting next Friday. 

In addition, there have been multiple ongoing discussions about the future for housing at LSU. Trentacoste says that nothing is for sure, but looking forward, “Depending on what the enrollment goals become, it will ask us to really look at, how do we make sure we have enough space to accommodate all students that need it first year?”

When asked if the East and West Campus Apartments might become exclusive to freshmen in the future, Trentacoste said there was potential. 

“Plans are beginning. There’s nothing concrete that I can share at this point,” he said.