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NMSU Board of Regents Approves Requirement, Exemptions For Students Living On Campus

Darren Phillips, NMSU

New Mexico State University’s Board of Regents approved a new requirement for all first-time, full-time undergraduate students to live on campus beginning in the fall of 2017.

NMSU Board of regents approved the residency requirement after a study found students who live on campus their first semester have higher retention rates, higher GPA’s, and are more likely to participate in campus activities.

Mike Cheney, Vice- Chair of NMSU’s Board of Regents says the requirement is a step in the right direction.

“I was a student here,” Cheney said. “And I lived on-campus, and I lived off-campus, and I know for a fact the level of engagement I had when I was on campus. I was involved in student activities, I had more proximity to my professors, and it was just an overall more engaging experience. And we know nationwide there are statistics that support that fact that students who do live on campus have a higher retention rate, have a higher grade point average and do a good job in school.”

Along with the first year residency requirements, Regents also passed a long list of exemptions including:

• students who live with an immediate family member, which is limited to mother and/or father; legal guardian; aunt or uncle; or grandparent(s),
• students who live with their spouse, domestic partner or dependent children,
• students who are 21 or older,
• students enrolled in online classes only,
• students with current active military or veteran status,
• additional considerations, including financial and medical hardships, as well as other special circumstances, will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

According to staff, The estimated cost of college attendance for students who live on campus is just about $16,000 on college, while those whole live off campus spend anywhere for just under $14,000 to just about $16,000, and they are working on providing more housing scholarships for those in need.

Regent Kari Mitchell voted against the requirement. She says while she agrees that living on campus freshman year has a lot of benefits, she would have preferred to see strengthened promotion efforts rather than create a mandate.

“I don’t believe we should mandate it,” Mitchell said. “I believe that we should be promoting it, and having systems that help link our in need students to those scholarships. I believe we can accomplish those same goals without a regulatory mandate that then creates lots of bureaucracy and confusion and administration. Versus just promoting and incentivizing, and networking and really relating with our students who come in.”

The program is being implemented with the First-year residential experience program to help enhance the on campus living and learning environment.

Information From NMSU:

 New Mexico State University will require first-time, full-time undergraduate students admitted to NMSU’s Las Cruces campus to live in a university-operated residence hall for their first academic year, or two semesters. The requirement begins in the fall 2017 semester and is aimed at improving student retention. 

“I think this is the right thing to do for our students,” said NMSU Chancellor Garrey Carruthers.  “We have evidence that living on campus contributes to greater success in college. Students who live on campus are more likely to be academically successful, graduate within four years, use campus resources, interact with faculty outside the classroom, have a positive experience as a student and engage as an alumnus.”

Regents also approved a number of exemptions to the requirement, which include: 

• students who live with an immediate family member, which is limited to mother and/or father; legal guardian; aunt or uncle; or grandparent(s),
• students who live with their spouse, domestic partner or dependent children, 
• students who are 21 or older,
• students enrolled in online classes only,
• students with current active military or veteran status,
• additional considerations, including financial and medical hardships, as well as other special circumstances, will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.