UNC Wilmington is requiring the majority of its largest freshman class in school history to live on campus this year with the hope of boosting its retention rate and ensuring student success.

A little over 2,100 freshmen — close to 95 percent of the class of 2020 — will live in on-campus housing this year, according to Director of Housing and Residence Life Peter Groenendyk.

UNCW aims to bring its freshman retention rate from where it stands at 86.4 percent to 90 percent or above, Groenendyk says, which would be more competitive with that of N.C. State, at 92.6 percent, and UNC-Chapel Hill, at 96.1 percent, according to a collegestats.org report. It would also be well above the national average retention rate of 77.1 percent and the state average of 78.2 percent. 

But the university’s motivation for the new requirement was more important than retention statistics. In fact, it was different from many other schools, Groenendyk says.

“We weren’t just interested in filling beds. We were interested in student success. We did this not because we need additional people living on campus, but because we wanted our students to do better, to ensure that we gave every student the opportunity to succeed.”

Indeed, one study by San Diego State University reports that on-campus students earned GPAs that were .43 points higher than off-campus students, and were more than 16 percent less likely to be placed on academic probation.

“It’s definitely meant to help freshmen adjust to college life,” said senior social work major and resident assistant Hayden Blaine. “I completely understand it. People who live on campus have safety nets that keep them on track, are more connected to the campus as a whole, do better academically, and are overall more satisfied.”

But spaces in the on-campus residence halls will be tighter than ever due to the freshman living requirement — an inconvenience that could affect the experiences of this year’s freshman class members. Around 90 students will be assigned to temporary housing, Groenendyk says — in conference rooms, shared spaces with Resident Assistants, or squeezed into two or three-person rooms.  

“Yeah, it makes RAs have more residents, but the dorms make such a great experience that you can’t get anywhere else,” says Cornerstone Hall resident assistant and junior English major Truman Spittel.

UNCW’s residence halls will be at maximum capacity this year, Spittel says, which brings in potential for both lots of conflict and lots of diversity.

“The people — that’s where the university shines,” Spittel said. “That’s where we excel. We attract a really tolerant, really great type of student.”

Although students who live on-campus tend to perform better, the university mandate will push many upperclassmen into the off-campus housing market as future freshmen and sophomores saturate UNCW’s housing facilities, Groenendyk said.

“Alienating some of the upperclassmen might be a downside, but I feel that after sophomore year, there’s a push to get off campus anyway,” says UNCW senior film major Jorge Cortes. He has experienced university life from both perspectives, living on-campus his freshman year at Notre Dame before moving back in with his parents and attending UNC Greensboro for his sophomore year.

“I was basically completely separated from UNCG’s campus life when I was living at home with my parents” he said. “I felt more connected to the university when I was living on campus.”

“I loved living on campus,” said junior biology major Rebecca Flaugher, who lived in International House’s overflow Honors housing her freshman year and now lives in an off-campus townhouse. “The majority of my current friend group lived with me there.”

Flaugher will have a two-car garage, more floor space, more freedom, the ability to burn candles in her house this year and will be paying less rent than she would if she were living on campus. Still, she acknowledges that the social atmosphere doesn’t match living on campus.

“You have to do more work to be social,” she says. “You’re not going to run into people in the hallway.”

There’s also the added responsibility that comes with living off-campus, and the inconvenience of commuting to campus. Flaugher avoids the dangerous bike lanes on College Acres road, she says, and instead rides her bike through the trail in the wooded area that leads up behind Seahawk Landing. Her townhouse is within a one-mile radius of campus, so she cannot get a parking pass.

It feels dangerous to ride her bike alone in the dark there, she says, and she thinks UNCW should add lighting to the trail for off-campus students like her who use it to commute to campus and avoid the busier roads.

The university, in conjunction with a consulting organization, is in the process of forming “a 10-year master plan” to expand its facilities in order to meet the growing demand for on-campus housing, Groenendyk says. Improvements, such as the addition of lighting on important trails like the one behind Seahawk Landing, will need to be addressed and included there.

“I think the Chancellor has set a vision for the university that we all are going to work hard to help achieve,” he said. “I think we’re all motivated and excited to move forward.”