PULLMAN, Wash. — In mid-August, Washington State University is preparing to welcome the largest freshman class in its history.
The increase is leaving some upperclassmen without a dorm and on a wait list for on-campus housing.
Freshman are required to live on campus and this year, WSU officials say that leaves 237 upperclassmen on a waitlist for a dorm room.
Phil Weiler, a spokesperson for WSU, said it is likely many upperclassmen on the wait list have already started finding off campus housing. But the university has still made a few changes to housing in order to accommodate the largest freshman class in its history.
Weiler said the university has reopened Waller Hall, which closed in 2015.
For female students, the university is converting the single rooms at Orton Hall into doubles, which is the number of students the hall originally accommodated.
Some students are being offered a 25 percent discount on housing fees if they volunteer to be placed in a three student room.
In the last 10 years, WSU built three new residence halls, adding 800 beds to on-campus housing.
"Most housing directors are going to want to have enough capacity that if they want to take a building offline, they can do it without causing disruption," Weiler said.
He added that some 15 Resident advisors, who traditionally get their own room, will now have roommates.
Move in day is Wednesday. In preparation for the influx of students and their families descending on the Pullman campus, the university plan to have an army of volunteers ready to help move in.