Overflow Housing
First-Year Students: Triple Occupancy Rooms
The demand for campus housing continues to be high, and because we guarantee housing for all first-year students, Residence Life has identified the largest rooms on campus to be designated as triple rooms. This process is common at universities where growth and demand for housing is strong. Any new applicants assigned to the RiverPark campus can expect to be assigned to a triple room for part or all of the fall semester. In the event that housing on both campuses reach capacity, we will first utilize the RiverPark waiting list to determine students that will be moved to Triple Occupancy Rooms in Broadway Crossing and Columbus Hall. Once the waiting list has been exhausted, and there is additional need for housing, we will place students in Triple rooms based on their housing application date, regardless of campus preference.
Residence Life is confident that while triple rooms have less space and privacy than double rooms, students will have a successful experience and even enjoy and appreciate the opportunity to foster new relationships.
Upperclassmen/Transfer Students: Double Occupancy Rooms
With so many returning and new transfer students requesting on campus housing, we have now started to offer double rooms in Courtyard North. This means that in some rooms in Courtyard North (4 bedroom/4 bathroom apartments), we will utilize up to 2 bedrooms as double occupancy rooms on a temporary basis. This will only occur when we have a cancellation in these apartments, and we will be able to place 2 students from the waiting list instead of 1. All students that selected a Courtyard North room assignment prior to July 1, will remain in a private bedroom.
After waiting anxiously, your housing assignment is finally announced, and you have been assigned to …an overflow room! What does that mean? Don't fear- below we have answered our most frequently asked questions. We hope this information will leave you feeling more informed and ready for a positive housing experience.
Q. What is a triple room?
A.A triple room is a bedroom that is configured to have three roommates. Each bedroom in the Broadway Crossing building on the RiverPark campus has been designated as a triple room. These bedrooms are part of a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom apartment. The rooms designated as triple rooms are among our largest rooms on campus, and are in most cases comparable or larger than triple rooms at other universities.
Q. Why was I assigned to an overflow room?
A.Due to a strong demand for housing, most students first-year students who apply to live on the RiverPark campus are placed in a triple occupancy room. In addition, first-year students who apply closer to the beginning of the fall semester for main campus housing are likely to be placed in a triple room on the RiverPark campus. This is because main campus housing typically reaches full capacity as we get closer to the start of the fall semester. Some students who are initially placed in a double occupancy room will receive a third roommate depending on the demand for housing.
Students on a waiting list are placed based on their housing application date. Students with later application dates are most likely to receive an overflow housing assignment.
Q. What does a triple room look like?
A.Because the size of each bedroom may vary we are unable to give each student the exact measurements of their bedrooms in advance of move-in day. The average size of a triple occupancy room is 11'6" X 18'6". While the size of the room may differ, each room does have three dressers and three beds, 2 bunked and one lofted. Students in triple rooms will share closet and desk space. While sharing space such as desk and closet space, we allow students to talk through how this space is best utilized. We recommend if students are unable to reach a compromise, the student on the top bunk will share the closet and have their own desk, the student on the bottom bunk will have their own closet and share a desk, and the student on the lofted bed will share both. We would also recommend rotating the shared space once or twice a semester.
Q. What does a double room in Courtyard North look like?
A. All bedrooms in Courtyard North are 12' x 10'. One bed will be lofted above 46", and will have a bedrail, and the other bed will be at 36", and has the option of a bedrail. The room will be pre-configured to allow space for 2 dressers, 2 beds and 1 desk. Because this is a temporary assignment, a minimal amount of furniture will be moved into the room to allow for more floor/storage space.
Q. Will it be cramped in the room?
A.Well...maybe- how much stuff are you bringing? The rooms have been evaluated by the housing staff and have adequate living space for all residents, but when each students each bring a big screen tv, a puffy bean bag chair and extra furniture, yes, it will be cramped. We would encourage you to contact your roommates and suitemates in advance of move in day to coordinate who is bringing what for the common areas (toaster, blender, tv, dishes, flatware, ect.) as well as for your bedroom (extra storage, additional tv, area rug, iron/ironing board, mini-fridge, ect).
Q. Any communication tips for roommates?
A. We recognize that for some students this is the first time they may be sharing a room, and now they are sharing with two other students, and for some that may be stressful. No matter if you and your roommates are best friends from kindergarten or will meet for the first time on move-in day, it can be a successful relationship as long as the 3C's are involved: Courtesy, Compromise and Communication. Each Resident Assistant will be able to provide a roommate agreement in which residents can use to openly communicate and compromise about the shared spaces within the bedroom and the apartment. We would also encourage you to talk to your roommates before you arrive about which beds you prefer as well as what you are willing to share to avoid the first-come first-served rush.
Q. How will I be able to study and sleep?
A. This is a concern for a lot of new college students, but with three students sharing a room, it is crucial to be open and honest with each other about personal space. Talking through quiet hours, expectations about visitors, sleep schedule, skyping home, and using headphones is important to a successful roommate experience. There are several common areas throughout the RiverPark and main campus that are open late, and could be a positive study solution based on your habits. It is important to talk with your Resident Assistant and other students about the best places on campus to study if you are unable to study in your room.
Q. How long do I have to live in an overflow assignment? Can I change rooms?
A.While many student will elect to stay in their overflow room, we realize that for all this may not be the most ideal situation. During the second week of classes all students that are still in an overflow room will receive information via their CSU email explaining the current openings, if available. We are unable to predict where vacancies will occur and this may mean that a freshman will be offered a space in an upperclassmen housing area, or potentially on a different campus. It will be up to the student to accept or decline the offer and once declined we will remove their name and move to the next student until all students are offered the opportunity to move that want to.
Q. Do I have to change rooms?
A.Making great connections with lasting friends is always a positive part of the roommate experience. We often have residents that would rather live in an overflow room with roommates that they have grown close with and do not want to start over with a new set of roommates. We leave this decision up to the student. Students will be able to remain in an overflow room for the entire Fall semester at the overflow room rate, if they are not offered the opportunity to move by the second week of classes. If we are able to offer students a regular room and they voluntarily remain in an overflow room, students will then sign the voluntary overflow form at the end of the fall semester, but will be charged the regular room rate for the spring semester. We are typically able to offer all students that wish to move to a regular room by the spring semester. Students with the later application date will be moved from the rooms, and the original occupants will be able to stay, unless mutually agreed that another student will change rooms.
