Residential Life will soon overhaul several on-campus housing policies.

Increasing demand for on-campus housing prompted the changes effective fall 2016.

Students will need 75 credit hours instead of 95 to move off campus, allowing juniors and seniors the chance to move off campus after sophomore year. Buildings’ cumulative GPA requirements will also change.

Madison, Masur and Ouachita Halls’ requirements will stay at 2.0 with preference given to students with a 2.3 or above. University Commons and University Suites will require a 2.5. Bayou Suites will require a 3.5 for incoming freshmen and a 3.3 for continuing students.

Bayou Village Apartments Five and Six will require a 3.3 or above, while Apartment Seven will require a 2.5 or above.

Tommy Walpole, executive director of auxiliary enterprises, said increasing GPA requirements would benefit the residential halls’ academic environments.

“These halls are home to our students, and their ‘home’ should be a place they can relax and study without having to deal with a few whose priorities lie elsewhere,” Walpole said.

Residential Life plans to update the website with these changes on Nov. 2 and to notify current residents by email and fliers posted in each hall.

However, the changes will not occur until fall 2016 to give students opportunities to raise their GPAs if needed to stay or to move to a different building. Current residents will also have more time to earn those 75 credit hours needed to move off campus, though they can begin searching for off-campus housing now.

Several Residential Life projects are also in the works, such as completion of a 2-year renovation project of Masur Hall next summer. It will be converted from exterior access to interior access only. This will enclose both buildings’ first floors and require ID access.

ULM also expects to open sorority housing in late fall 2016 or early spring 2017. It will be along the bayou next to President Nick Bruno’s home on Bon Aire Drive. Early estimates project it will house 100 to 120 females.

Lauren Rappold, a junior public relations major and member of Kappa Delta, said she “can’t wait” for the housing to open but is disappointed it will not be completed before she graduates. However, she plans to visit as an alumna.

“The housing might be an incentive for more girls to participate in NPC recruitment and maybe grow ULM’s Greek Life,” Rappold said.

these festivities, I think it’s very cool,” said Khong, a sophomore biology major.

Jessica Pratt, Aramark’s District Marketing Manager, said Food Services reached out to students and faculty two years ago for feedback on changes they wanted to see.

“A lot of it [changes] was a big result of everything we had gathered from our students and getting feedback from them and then trying to figure out what we could do to make sure we were giving them the best offerings that we could,” Pratt said.

Schulze renovations cost two-million dollars. Robert Hoag, director of campus dining service, said Starbucks and Hawk’s Nest will undergo renovations starting next summer.

“A lot of it [changes] was a big result of everything we had gathered from our students and getting feedback from them and then trying to figure out what we could do to make sure we were giving them the best offerings that we could,” Pratt said.

illion dollars. Robert Hoag, director of campus dining service, said Starbucks and Hawk’s Nest will undergo renovations starting next summer.