Room and dining changes occur on campus

By Jay’Mi Vazquez

Managing Editor

Brianna Wallen

News Editor

Since the semester started, significant changes have been made for resident students and students with meal plans.

All changes for the residence halls were put in effect this fall and will continue until Spring 2025.

One of the biggest changes made was the triple rooms now being offered to students in Schwartz Hall.

Previously, Schwartz did not have triple rooms. However, there have been instances where some of the rooms in Schwartz were quads, with four beds in a room.

“Universities like SCSU continuously evaluate housing needs based on enrollment trends and other factors,” Director of Residence Life Stephen Sweet said.

Sweet said that the decision for this change reflects the adjustments the Office of Residence Life makes to meet the needs of students.

Another big change made for resident students was the number of credits required to stay in some residence halls.

Credit adjustments were made to Brownell Hall and Schwartz Hall.

Resident students are now required to have a minimum of 28 credits to live in Brownell Hall and 36 credits to live in

Schwartz Hall.

“We continuously evaluate our policies and procedures to ensure that we can provide the best possible experience for students here at Southern,” Sweet said.

All other residence halls still require the same credits as last school year, which can be found on the university’s website on the housing options page.

Sweet said he encourages any students with questions about housing options on campus to contact the Office of Residence Life.

At Connecticut Hall, there have also been adjustments implemented. The dining hall’s hours were extended to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 p.m. Friday to Sunday.

Wyatt Cannon, the marketing manager for Sodexo at the university, said that this extended time was made to cater to students.

“Last year, after gathering student insight, the decision to extend dining hours in Connecticut Hall was made with the university to provide students an ‘all you care to eat’ dining experience later into the evening,” Cannon said.

Cannon said this change benefits students, as they can get the most out of their swipes.

“Now, students, regardless of their meal plan size or structure, are able to eat as much as they’d like for one swipe,” Cannon said.

While the dining hall hours of operation have increased, the hours in the Adanti Student Center have decreased.

Dining options such as Tres Habaneros, Peking Plate, and The Grill now close at 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 2:30 p.m. on Friday. SubConnection closes at 4:00 p.m. Monday to Thursday.

“Since the student center food court is structured like most retail locations, one swipe or a specific price equates to a set amount of food; by extending Connecticut Hall’s hours, we avoid limiting our students’ portions for that one swipe,” Cannon said.

Along with extended hours, the university also worked to accommodate students by working to lower costs of the meal plan.

“During the 2023-2024 academic year, the university and student representatives worked together to keep meal plan prices from increasing year over year,” Cannon said. “To achieve this goal, these parties identified areas of the meal program that were driving up the cost of plans.”

Cannon said that these modifications included removing under-utilized programs such as the green to-go containers and guest swipes.

These eliminations can help to enhance dining options for students who commute.

“And introduce a new Food Loot plan for commuters looking for a lower-cost option to get meals during their busy schedules,” Cannon said.