TCU continued to move sophomores off-campus this year, but some had a choice in the move.
The push is part of the university’s response to a growing student body.
“We decided to do more on the demand side,” said Executive Director for Housing & Residence Life and Fraternity & Sorority Life Craig Allen. “. . .there was more supply than demand.”
TCU has lease options with several off-campus complexes including GrandMarc, Liberty Lofts, and Village East. Students were also allowed to live independently off campus. Last year, sophomores who were moved off-campus weren’t given a choice. Housing also emailed asking for volunteers to waive the requirement to live in TCU-sponsored housing.
Lots of the TCU-sponsored off-campus complexes, like GrandMarc, mostly had juniors and seniors with a couple of sophomores. Now with a large amount of sophomores volunteering to be off-campus, it has become more of a primarily housing for sophomores.
We had about 160 students that initially said they wanted to go off-campus, then about 30-40 said, ‘no.’,” Allen said.
Some of those who made the switch by choice said they are enjoying the experience.
Charles Hoffmeister, a sports broadcasting major, accepted the offer. He and his two roommates live at Liberty Lots on South University Drive.
“I wanted to expand my horizons a little bit and experience something different because I lived on campus since it’s required for freshmen,” Hoffmeister said. “I just wanted to experience independence and getting to places.
“Liberty Lofts is a nice little neighborhood, only five minute drive, thirty minute walk,” he said. “I like how it’s far from campus.”
The off-campus option allowed Josephine Burrell, a social work major, to continue living with her roommate from last year. They live in a house close to campus.
“I like that I have my own space, that it’s super close to campus, and that it has a kitchen so I cook,” Burrell said.
“I don’t have to fight anyone for a washing machine anymore,” she added. “I used to have to get up at 6 a.m to fight for a washing machine but now I don’t have to, and I have my own parking space.”
Allen said shifting the sophomores off campus has improved the amount of room that is available in the dorms.
“We were trying to have fewer first-year students in triple rooms or lounges and it did exactly what we wanted it to do,” Allen said. “Right now we are in the process of building new buildings so we will have 280 more beds in a year in a half or so.”
