From pencil to computer, 2012 Residential Life room draw was a new process.

2012 Residential Life room draw differed from the 2011 residential Life room draw in many ways. According to Craig Beebe, director of Residential Life, three major differences were present. A completely online system, availability for all housing options including the Carrollton suites and apartments and the “point system” was based upon an accumulation of the one person’s points rather than a group.

Beebe said, “Students saved time and energy because they could access Room Draw online and complete it in minutes from any location with an internet connect, including from their mobile device.”

Seth Hagler, assistant director of Residential Life, added that room draw is not the entire housing assignment process.

“The housing assignment process takes place over several

months,” Hagler said. Beebe and Hagler said that

this process was created based upon evaluations from students in previous years.

Due to feedback and students’ opinions, “The new system values individual students more while continuing to allow groups to live together if they wish,” Beebe said.

Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J., believes that Loyola University should be a residential college.

Wildes said, ” The Jesuit education of the whole person is not just in the classroom. Living on campus is an opportunity to both teach and learn”

Hagler added that a residential campus is important to maintain because of Loyola’s Jesuit values “Residential Life is hands on, we are not just a housing office, but a Residential Life office,” Hagler said.

During the 2012 room draw

process, Facebook was used as a means to answer questions during the entire process.

Beebe said, “We actively monitor both Facebook and Twitter as a method of customer service to students.”

Students offer their opinions on Facebook about the 2012 Room Draw process.

Andrew Ketchem, English writing freshman, said, “I thought it was a positive experience. There were kinks, of course, but since the system was just implemented this year, I think that’s bound to happen. Also, Res Life offered multiple informational and instructional sessions about the upcoming online room-draw, which made navigating the system relatively easy.”

Other students feel differently about the entire process.

Jessica Zajkowski, music industry studies freshman, said, “I think it is a good strategy, but it needs work. My problem is not so much with the room draw, but how they handled the room availability when students didn’t get rooms. Instead of going about it the way they did, they should have figured out the number of students they can accommodate. It seems simple enough that they would have considered this factor when they denied housing exemptions.”

Beebe said that at this time, Residential Life has housed an additional 130 people. They plan to fulfill more housing assignments after the June 1 housing cancellation deadline.

At this time, Residential Life is communicating with people on the waitlist through emails, but they predict to fulfill all the housing assignments by the middle of June, Beebe said.

Lucy Dieckhaus can be reached at [email protected]