Tennessee Tech student housing operating at near full capacity as the university prepares for the upcoming fall semester.
Executive Director for University Housing Mike Reagle said the demand for on-campus living currently fluctuates between 98 and 99 percent. Reagle said the university houses approximately 2,300 students in traditional residence halls and another 350 residents in the Tech Village apartments.
“We’ve spent about 10 days training with them, spent about a week before that in training with our full-time hall directors,” Reagle said, “And we have a great, great, great group of folks that are prepared to serve students starting on Thursday.”
Reagle said a first-year residency requirement accounts for about 1,500 of the available beds on campus. Reagle said the remaining space is filled by returning students and transfer students who prioritize proximity to campus events and activities.
“For returners, the last couple of years every returner who has wanted to to come back to campus, we have been able to find a bed for,” Reagle said. “It may not be in the very beginning because we, you know, take a certain number of of beds offline for our first-year students. But again, the last couple of years we’ve been able to provide housing to any upperclassmen and any transfer who was interested.”
Reagle said the university utilizes a software portal that allows students to view every available bed on campus and select their preferred location, price point, and floor level. Reagle said the system functions similarly to purchasing a concert or sporting event ticket.
“It really is,” Reagle said. “And and it has worked out great for us and honestly has worked out great for students because again, they they get to choose. Okay, well I’d rather have a second floor room in this building or a fourth floor room in this building or most of my classes are in this building over here and they see exactly what again, it’s you’re exactly right, it’s just like a sporting event or a concert. They see exactly the tickets or so that are still available and they get to choose one.”
Reagle said the university maintains a variety of housing options to ensure students can find a residence that fits their specific budget and amenity preferences. Reagle said the revenue from the housing system allows Tennessee Tech to perform ongoing upgrades to building aesthetics and mechanical systems.
“I always tell people I kind of equate it to, you know, kind of your if if you go to Disney World, um you can stay in a, you know, $150 a night or $200 a night place,” Reagle said. “You can stay in a $2,000 a night place if you want to. You you kind of set your own experience and choose your adventure. Uh, and for us that’s kind of what we do.”
Reagle said MS Cooper Pinkerton underwent a significant renovation this summer, while other buildings received bathroom upgrades, new paint, and plank flooring. Reagle said the university is also looking forward to the opening of the new JJ Oakley Residence Hall next fall, which will add space for approximately 400 students.
“That will be be amazing,” Reagle said. “We’ve not built a residence hall in the last number of years. So we’re very, very excited about the new building. We’re excited about um the opportunity to create um a little bit different space than what we’ve already got because it’ll be a little bit newer.”
Reagle said the move-in process for freshmen begins Thursday and Friday using a drive-through check-in system at Tech Village to prevent traffic congestion. Reagle said upper-class students will move into their respective halls on Saturday and Sunday.
“We put a high, high priority on our housing staff getting to know students,” Reagle said. “And getting to know the residents that live here. We know that um students that feel like they belong, feel students who feel like they get connected with the staff and with other students are the ones that are most successful. Uh, so that that’s the big challenge that we give to the staff is get out, know your residents, ask questions, talk to them, make sure they’re doing okay, um make sure they’re getting adjusted, make sure they’re, you know, eventually starting next week getting to class and things like that.”
Reagle said students who have not yet finalized their housing should contact the university housing office immediately to secure a remaining space.
