Influx of Students Fills Dorms to Capacity
For the first time in YU’s history, Muss and almost all of the Rubin and Morgenstern Residence Halls are filled to maximum capacity, due largely to the arrival of YU’s largest freshman class since 2007. The Office of University Housing and Residence Life is currently taking further measures to accommodate the burgeoning student population in its three dormitory complexes; however, it is currently facing an unprecedented burden presented by overwhelming numbers of both new and returning students, as well as a resurgence in upper-classmen campus housing requests. Compounding the challenge of housing a larger freshman class is a variety of other issues the school has not needed to deal with previously.
Perhaps most notable amongst the changes to the current housing situation has been the designation of an entire floor of YC’s Muss dormitory for the college’s high school, Yeshiva University High School for Boys (YUHSB). YUHSB dormitory students, who up until this point had been living in Strenger Hall (situated between the college’s Rubin and Morgenstern dormitories), will now be living on the fifth floor of Muss Hall, providing them direct access to the high school’s Zysman Hall location. Jeff Rosengarten, Yeshiva’s Vice President for Administrative Services, explained that aside from providing the high school students with this added convenience, the relocation will also eliminate the costs of maintaining Strenger Hall. The university has discussed using the now vacant Strenger facilities to house prospective students, although no long term plans have been cited.
Some of these issues have taken their toll on the University’s housing efforts. While the majority of students who opt for campus housing is traditionally comprised of first and second year students, there has been a recent upswing of upperclassmen electing for dormitory accommodation. As the bustling Washington Heights undergraduate and graduate student community continues to grow, the necessary debilitating search process and the rising costs of apartments have led many to select the more convenient university housing option.
For now, the future of campus living is undoubtedly auspicious, with many construction initiatives well underway on the Rubin Hall residence. New brickwork is being installed on the exterior of the building, to enhance its aesthetic appeal as well as to provide it with better insulation. Rosengarten also commented that the already closed-off section of 185thStreet may see even more development for the purpose of giving the University a more campus-like feel in the future.
