Colleges across the nation, including AU, are implementing upscale and elite housing to generate a classy college lifestyle by adding everything from free Internet and cable access, TV lobby lounges with full kitchens and enhanced comforts like mattress pads, microwaves and refrigerators.
"We are in a competitive market," said Julie Weber, executive director of Housing and Dining Programs at AU. "We want to make sure that our housing fits the students' appeal. It is important that we stay current in the market."
At AU, Housing and Dining offers free cable, campus-wide wireless Internet access, game rooms, free music downloads through Napster and rentals of bed lofts, mattresses and refrigerators.
Students can also use the Jacobs Fitness Center and Letts and McDowell residence halls' fitness centers.
At this time, there are no plans for additional services, but the renovation of Nebraska Hall into suite-style dorm rooms is expected to produce a more luxurious option for residents.
The new Nebraska Hall on campus will feature single suites with kitchens, living rooms, full-sized beds and upscale furniture, The Eagle previously reported.
Weber said she feels AU's dorms provide students with good housing options, especially in comparison to the housing offered by other universities.
"We have really nice residence halls for the style that we have," she said. "Our buildings are really nice compared to some other campus housing."
Gillian Avery, a freshman in the School of International Service, disagreed with Weber, saying space is a major issue.
"They're decent and the cleaning staff here rocks, but you can't really talk about how 'posh' the dorms are when you have three people crammed in a room," she said.
Aramark housekeeping employee James Warren said he has seen significant changes in AU's facilities and services throughout the years.
"There's a lot of money going into [housing]," Warren said. "AU's spending a fair amount."
Housing and Dining does not spend as much as people assume, according to Weber. Because Housing and Dining works with vendors, they don't have much to fund. For example, the Game and Recreation Centers were mostly funded by donations from different campus organizations.
According to Weber, extended facilities were created to provide more late-night on-campus options for residents. They wanted students to feel at home, meet new people and build relationships, she said.
