On-Campus Housing

Student Success at SDSU

Living in the residence halls can help students connect to the university and be more successful. Continuing to live on campus for a second year is also critical for continued success. In fact, sophomores who live on campus have a 20 percent better chance of remaining in school than their off-campus counterparts.

Students who live off campus are placed on academic probation twice as often as their peers living on-campus. Students who live off-campus and are on academic probation have a nearly fifty percent chance of being academically disqualified from University at the end of their first year.

Residents who are placed on academic probation during their first year at SDSU are more likely to be removed from academic probation by the end of their first year than their off campus colleagues.

There are several reasons why students living on-campus are more successful than their off-campus friends. The benefits to returning to live on campus a second and/or third year include:

• Each student signs an individual lease without taking on the responsibility of roommate expenses. Cable and WiFi are also included in the lease. This removes the liability of a roommate missing bills or “skipping out” on the rent.
• Returning students who sign a license agreement and make the initial payment by April 1 can request a specific apartment, roommates and suite-mates.
• Some complexes also include such benefits as assigned parking (at an additional cost), single bedrooms, and very close proximity to campus. They are also close to campus resources such as the library and computer labs.
• If your student wants academic assistance, a series of academic support programs focused on sophomore and upper-classmen issues are available.
• Community Assistants (CA) staff on-campus apartments. Like a Resident Assistant (RA), CA’s help students when problems arise but they are less proactive than an RA and focus on helping students when asked rather than actually assisting in the transition to campus.
• Living on-campus frees your son or daughter from responsibilities such as having a car, driving daily through traffic and finding a parking space.
• The on-campus trolley station means it’s easy to enjoy the San Diego area.

For the 2009-2010 academic year, about 900 apartment and 300 suite-style spaces are
available for returning residents. As well, many residents will want to live a second year in
a residence hall. No meal plan is required for returners in apartments and a new, fully
declining balance plan is available to returner students only named the Returner Flex plan.

If your student has challenges the first semester, they will have access to campus resources.
The Bounce Back Retention Program is a documented success program to help students
who are placed on academic probation get “back on track” academically. Information
regarding Bounce Back is available at http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/cps/bounce_back.html.

The residence halls also offer Academic Mentors, Faculty in Residence, and academic
resource labs known as “STAR Centers”. These programs offer assistance to students
needing academic guidance as well. Star Centers offer free tutoring, free computer access
and a quiet place to study or find academic help. For roommate issues there are full time
Residence Hall Coordinators that live in the halls.

Using these on-campus resources helps students succeed. Of these students living off-campus
who are placed on academic probation, nearly half will be disqualified at the end of
their freshman year. Students living on-campus in the same situation are removed from
academic probation at a rate almost twice as high as those living off-campus.

Now is the time to talk with your student about their living plans for their sophomore year: The Critical Year”.

Resident Advisors will provide students with Intent to Return applications explaining their options for on-campus apartments for the 2009-2010 academic year. Students who have selected “Housing Interest” in their WebPortal will have access to the license agreement in early March. They should complete the license agreement and pay the $800 initial payment then. To receive returner benefits students must complete the contract process by April 6, 2009.