All 24 openings on this floor were signed up, and a waiting list was created. This year, again at student request, another area has been created, on the seventh floor of Wood, that is a quiet floor for residents who wish noise levels to be limited. These special housing programs allow students to apply to participate in a residential community in which members sign a community agreement stating that they will follow certain guidelines. Community standards are used to self-monitor, but resident assistants also promote observance. Other options in small group housing are also available.
Students can organize themselves into groups and sign up for a floor as a unit.
These community environments are proving popular and fill up readily. Resident Student Services reports that the number of students seeking on-campus housing, in Gorham residence halls and in Portland Hall, has been higher this year than in the last several years. In addition, there has been an increase in the number of students who lived on campus last year and signed up for campus housing again. Another initiative aimed at retaining students is Project 100, a pilot program coordinated by Toni Passerman, First Year Alternative Experience director, to identify by mid-semester those students who may need assistance in learning skills or advising. Through Project 100, faculty in 75 course sections this fall will alert advisors of students demonstrating problems in attendance or academic performance.