As students are getting back into the usual Allegheny routine this spring semester, the office of Residence Life has been getting ready to implement some major changes to the housing selection process. Starting this semester, the housing process will be done in person in Reis Hall, without any use of the internet.

“The housing process will be on paper, and in person,” said Allegheny Student Government President Brett Fuchs, ’10, during this weeks’ ASG meeting. “The online system was never properly put in place.”

Campus-wide e-mails from the Director of Residence Life, Joe Hall, have been giving more information about how to navigate the new system. Students will each receive a draw number in their school mailbox, with an assigned appointment time to choose housing in person at Reis Hall. Appointment times will be assigned based on anticipated graduate date; within each class, a computer randomly assigns these room selection numbers.

As in past years, for groups of students planning on living together, the student with the best room selection number can sign up for a room before the other students are up for selection.  All roommates can attend the earliest selection time, but it is not a requirement. All students living together, however, must each list each other on the housing agreement.

Although moves away from internet technology are rare, Fuchs said that the in-person strategy will help work out the common kinks in the former housing selection process.

“Residence life plans on having staff to help guide you on where you’re going to live,” Fuchs said. “Students should be comfortable in the space their living.”

Because the Residence Life office cannot individually tailor selection times based on student’s individual schedules, a student proxy will be allowed if the intended student cannot make the appointment time in Reis, Hall said. A signed proxy form, included in the housing packet, must be completed by the selection time.

Besides this new system for housing selection, Residence Life has created two new living and learning communities for the next academic year. Edwards Hall, formerly a dormitory of primarily upperclassmen in singles, will become the Edwards Wellness House and Allegheny Hall will become the Allegheny Hall Green Living Community.

The Edwards Wellness House will focus on substance-free living with an emphasis on nutrition and exercise, Fuchs said. The Green Living Community will house 16 students with a primary goal of sustainable living.

“The communities are a good idea,” said Anna Oehser, ’11, current Edwards Hall resident. “But there are already a lot of specialty houses. Now upperclassmen will have far fewer choices for nice singles if they don’t want to live in a special community.”

There is an application process for these living and learning communities in order to make sure prospective residents are committed to the ideals set up for the living space.

“We anticipate housing in these areas to be highly competitive,” Hall said in a campus-wide e-mail. “Accepted students will have guidelines and commitments that they will need to follow.”

North Village II will also be added to the housing list available for next year, with several new apartments in different configurations. The facilities will be able to house 230 upperclassmen students.

For students with additional questions about any of these changes, information sessions will be held on February 22 from 7-8 in the Quigley Auditorium and on February 23 from 12:30-1:30 in Campus Center 301/302.