WILMINGTON — Almost 200 students are scheduled to have alternative sleeping arrangements this fall as UNCW plans to house more students than it has space.
This will be the second year in a row UNCW’s enrolled first- and second-year students, both required to live on campus, exceed its bed count.
Ahead of 2023’s fall semester, the university revealed around 245 students had to be moved to nontraditional sleeping spaces — dormitory common rooms or office space, and triple-up in some bigger dorm rooms.
According to documents for this Thursday’s UNCW Board of Trustees meeting, it has received 5,424 housing contracts as of July 15. It has 5,230 beds, leaving a delta of 194 spots.
The count includes the 72 beds the university is leasing from Plato’s Lofts, an off-campus housing complex within a mile from campus. The trustees approved the lease agreement in January of this year due to housing constraints revealed months prior. The university is planning to lease more beds from Plato’s Lofts in summer 2025.
According to BOT documents, 300 beds are being withheld for incoming transfer students and 150 for international students.
Illuminating the reasons for the overcapacity, the document states interest in UNCW and on-campus housing is “extremely high” and retention of first-years in the 2023 class is around 4% beyond UNCW’s goal.
UNCW is using previous methods to house its overflow students; 170 students have been assigned to TV rooms, study rooms and triple dorm rooms in Cornerstone, Innovation, Keystone, Graham, Hewlett, Pelican, Sandpiper and Schwartz halls.
The BOT documents state the university will review occupancy numbers and overflow housing plans.
Port City Daily asked the university for its short-term plans to accommodate for overcrowding, including whether it plans to lease from more off-campus housing or reduce enrollment in upcoming years. UNCW did not respond by press.
The university has expedited the development of additional residential space, the BOT authorizing preliminary planning for a third parking deck and phase three of its student housing village. The last additions to this space were just a few years ago, with four new dorms adding 1,810 beds to campus.
The new hall is planned for the site of Galloway Hall, which was the university’s oldest and largest dorm now in demolition. UNCW’s campus area master plan — to go before the trustees for final approval Thursday — plans for 380 beds, though this is the only residence hall slated for the first five years of the plan.
If this year’s overflow of 194 students is subtracted from the 380 additional beds, that leaves 186 beds for future growth. Based on UNCW’s five-year first-year growth rate of 6.4%, the university is set to exceed that bed count — with just freshmen — in another five years.
UNCW’s enrollment grew by 300 students between 2022 and 2023. Half of that total is made up by out-of-state students, in which the university received the largest over-enrollment penalty in UNC System history for exceeding its nonresident student cap of 18%. In November 2023, it was sanctioned $4 million for its ratio reaching 27%.
The finalized campus area master plan accounts for a 22% increase in overall enrollment. It has also included 11 building areas identified for housing expansion, though they aren’t scheduled for “full buildout” until at least 11 years from now.
Here’s the items recommended for buildout before that, from one to five years:
From six to 10 years:
Beyond 10 years:
The plan also includes recommended landscaping projects, including enhancements to the Randall Drive entry and an “experiential” landscape trail at the front of campus.
The board will vote on the campus area master plan on Thursday; the full board will meet at 3 p.m in UNCW’s Nixon Annex.
Reach out to Brenna Flanagan at brenna@localdailymedia.com.
Want to read more from PCD? Subscribe now and then sign up for our morning newsletter, Wilmington Wire, and get the headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.
