Residence halls stayed opened during Spring Break for the first time this year, as part of Residential Services’ new housing model. 

Paul Riel, executive director of Residential Services, said his office is adopting a new model that will provide “seamless housing” for students during the academic year. Riel said there are many students, particularly international students, who look to stay on campus during winter and spring breaks.

Though the Spring Break program was a pilot, Riel said it was a success and his office is looking to continue it in the future.

“From the data we collected, we really had on average close to 300 students on campus each day during Spring Break,” he said.

For Winter Break this year, international students had the opportunity to stay in the residence halls and Riel said this option may open up for all students moving forward.

Ravi Shankar, director of the International Office, said these new programs are very helpful for international students.

“The benefit is convenience and giving (international students) a second option rather than finding a place to go and moving all their stuff,” he said. “This was a long-term issue so increasingly I think you’ll see students taking advantage of these options.”

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