Alcorn releases plans for addressing student housing challenge
Alcorn State University leaders are leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to make sure the institution can meet the student housing demand for the fall semester. With an increased demand for on-campus housing, all available beds on both the Lorman and Natchez campuses have been filled.
Similar to last year, the University has devised appropriate alternatives to ensure that all registered students are accommodated with university housing for the fall semester. With all the Natchez campus residences assigned, the University plans to offer a daily shuttle bus service to transport students to and from Natchez. Each student will also receive the full meal plan to use on the Lorman campus.
Alcorn's interim president, Dr. Donzell Lee, reported that the school has recently received approval from the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning to contract with the Days Inn hotel in Natchez to meet any additional housing needs for a continually growing student body.
Lee explained, "Alcorn desires to see all students housed on our Lorman campus. Unfortunately, our available housing stock does not currently afford us this opportunity. The university has been actively exploring all options and alternatives possible to help us adequately address our growing housing challenge. Thankfully, this arrangement gives us an opportunity to house students as needed temporarily."
Tracy Cook, interim vice president for Student Affairs added, "Alcorn's goal is to accommodate every student who requests with a comfortable environment to live and learn on our campus. The hotel has amenities identical to on-campus dormitories – including move-in ready furniture – that should offer students a fairly similar experience. We have also begun steps to overhaul our housing process to ensure we have a more efficient application and assignment system in place in the future."
Campus police will be partnering with local law enforcement to ensure a safe environment is maintained in our Natchez housing. Facility maintenance services for the Natchez campus residence halls will continue. Throughout the fall semester, the temporary housing solutions will be re-evaluated, and students will be transitioned to the Lorman campus based on availability.
