A new school year hasn't even started yet, and plans (big plans) are already being altered - and not necessarily for the better.

Despite being just weeks away from the start of the university's fall semester, hundreds of incoming students at Colorado State University's main campus in Fort Collins are just finding out that they will not be permitted to move into the on-campus housing units they opted to live in months ago.

Rather, they will be assigned to temporary off-campus housing - which will include housing at a location that is no stranger to helping out the CSU community in times of need.

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Last Thursday (Aug. 4), the Coloradoan reported that about 400-500 incoming Colorado State University students will be placed in overflow housing this year due to an increase in students who applied for on-campus housing.

The Problem 

How many students can Colorado State accommodate in their on-campus housing facilities? CSU has a total of 8,000 campus housing beds - that includes both residence halls and apartments, the Coloradoan said. 

First-year students are assigned to residence halls, which have a capacity this year of just under 6,000, according to Tonie Miyamoto, Director of Communications and Sustainability for the Division of Student Affairs at CSU - who noted that one of the school's residence halls is closed this year due to upcoming renovations.

CSU Sees Increase In Enrollment: Colorado State University saw a 5.5% increase in students officially admitted to CSU for the upcoming fall semester.

The Impact of COVID-19: While increased enrollment, along with the closure of a residence hall would seemingly have an effect on this current overflow housing problem, Nick Sweeton, associate executive director for housing services at CSU, says the spike in interest in on-campus housing was also likely caused by pent-up demand

“Students who may have put going to college off by a year or two is probably some of the reason behind this.”

The Solution: CSU Converts Community Lounges, Utilizes Local Hotel To Accommodate Students Seeking On-Campus Housing

While some students being temporarily displaced from traditional on-campus housing are set to be placed in alternate housing on university grounds (i.e; converted community lounges), others will be placed in temporary housing at an off-campus hotel - a former place used for temporary housing for students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We're using all of our normal, temporary spaces and then, in addition, because our demand is so high, we are contracting with the Best Western University Inn and approximately 150 incoming students will be placed there as their temporary housing assignment,” said Sweeton, the Coloradoan reported. 

Students, Parents React To Untimely Housing Relocation

According to the Coloradoan, Sweeton said his department has heard some negative responses from students and/or parents and guardians of students being placed in CSU's temporary housing units.

He reportedly said that while he understands the complaints being received regarding this situation, he added that CSU housing officials are “making extra efforts to make sure that those students feel welcomed and valued.”

According to Sweeten, the majority of students who will be placed in overflow housing are incoming freshmen.

“We know that a key component of students' success, particularly for freshmen, is residency on campus,” Sweeton said.

“The environment is structured for students going through that life phase at the same time, and so residing with other people going through the same thing in the same phase of life is a key ingredient to student success.”

How long will CSU students be displaced in temporary housing for?

Even in the midst of every concern, Sweeton says that most students placed in these temporary housing locations should only be living in such places for a short period of time.

“Given that it is such a large number, we may have students in temporary accommodations for longer than we typically do this cycle, for sure,” Sweeton said. “But I expect the majority will be moved to permanent assignments within the first few weeks.”

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