The end of Oak-Elm?

[Colorado]

https://www.iowastatedaily.com/news...cle_f786ef70-599f-11ea-8966-63855dac0f9d.html

“For fall 2019, we opened with over 800 vacancies,” Englin said. “We hope it improves but we are currently trending to have over 1,500 vacancies across the system next fall. We can save over $750,000 by not operating Oak-Elm.”

 

[Frak]

Dorm system was full just a few years ago. Are that many students living off campus now?

 

[cycloner29]

The memories of working in Oak-Elm food service, the floor parties, walking out of girls dorm at 7 am in the morning. Food service was a blast!!

 

[theshadow]

Dorm system was full just a few years ago. Are that many students living off campus now?

There are 3,000 fewer students than there were 3 years ago.

 

[Colorado]

D'oh. Just saw that there is another post already on this topic. I tried searching for oak elm but the words are too short...

Feel free to merge.

 

[JM4CY]

The memories of working in Oak-Elm food service, the floor parties, walking out of girls dorm at 7 am in the morning. Food service was a blast!!

Walked out or kicked out naked?

 

[alarson]

There are 3,000 fewer students than there were 3 years ago.

That seems like a crazy large drop in just a few years

 

[CyCrazy]

That seems like a crazy large drop in just a few years

They peaked 3-5 years ago, not that surprising. But Ames still keeps building apartments that cost an arm and a leg.

 

[srjclone]

That's too bad, I lived in BWR and loved the feel of that circle of campus. Very East Coast college feel when I first toured it. The Dorms with the big open grass area for activities was fun/easy for a freshman to get involved with other students, and being in BWR we usually matched up with Oak-Elm. My future wife first lived in Oak.

Although I don't have "memories" of it directly, I do think it'd effect the feel of campus if they just demo'd those dorms.

 

[Cyched]

They peaked 3-5 years ago, not that surprising. But Ames still keeps building apartments that cost an arm and a leg.

Are Ames housing prices still heroic?

 

[NWICY]

That's too bad, I lived in BWR and loved the feel of that circle of campus. Very East Coast college feel when I first toured it. The Dorms with the big open grass area for activities was fun/easy for a freshman to get involved with other students, and being in BWR we usually matched up with Oak-Elm. My future wife first lived in Oak.

Although I don't have "memories" of it directly, I do think it'd effect the feel of campus if they just demo'd those dorms.

Would they demo them or just mothball them? Wouldn't be that hard to just drain the pipes and lock the doors for a yr.

 

[srjclone]

Would they demo them or just mothball them? Wouldn't be that hard to just drain the pipes and lock the doors for a yr.

Fair point, and I guess that is just where my mind went. Nothing that says they would.

Lots of space just sitting unused, though. It'll be interesting to see what they decide to do.

 

[CyCrazy]

Are Ames housing prices still heroic?

No clue but I did work for a local apt owner in Ames this winter and 3 bedrooms were 1700 a month and these were behind West Hyvee.

 

[srjclone]

No clue but I did work for a local apt owner in Ames this winter and 3 bedrooms were 1700 a month and these were behind West Hyvee.

man, those have gone up exponentially just in the 5 years since I've left.

 

[cyclone87]

Even though enrollment has receded it is still high by historical standards. I think the biggest thing is that it’s cheaper to live off campus and there are a lot of apartments.

 

[Frak]

There are 3,000 fewer students than there were 3 years ago.

For sure. But 3 years ago, they were opening Geoffrey Hall and renting out the high rise that had Legends at the top and counting that as a dorm. And they still had kids living in commons areas. IMO the issue is bigger than just enrollment being down.

 

[beentherebefore]

If these buildings have had very limited updating since 1938, it is no surprise that in 2020 few teenagers want to live there.

I also believe it is not that much less expensive to live there than at the newer/updated facilities. Seems to me these buildings could be made into a more affordable housing experience for students and families looking to save on housing. Frankly, housing often is the most expensive aspect of attending ISU.

 

[enisthemenace]

The memories of working in Oak-Elm food service, the floor parties, walking out of girls dorm at 7 am in the morning. Food service was a blast!!

I found leaving apartments at 7 AM much more appealing. I used to leave the dorms in the middle of the night.

 

[intrepid27]

The memories of working in Oak-Elm food service, the floor parties, walking out of girls dorm at 7 am in the morning. Food service was a blast!!

That brings back memories. I lived in Stewart house on 3rd floor of Linden. Used to cheer on girls doing the walk of shame.

 

[jackrabbit]

According to the first link below ISU had at one time 4,125 foreign students. The 2nd link says that as of this fall ISU had 3,189 (the end of the 1st paragraph under Smart, diverse, engaged). So in a couple of years the number of international students has decreased by almost 1,000. Most likely, that number will continue to drop.

https://www.collegefactual.com/rankings/international-value/overall/p1.html#abs6

https://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2019/09/12/2019enrollment