This year, Samford University has announced its largest-ever total enrollment, with 6,101 students for the fall 2024 semester. This significant influx raises questions about housing.
For the second consecutive year, Residence Life is housing students off campus in the Tributary Rise apartments and has added two more complexes: The Brookwood on Manor Drive and Estelle on Lakeshore.
Parents of students have expressed increasing concern about safety, transportation and overall commute issues. Although all the apartments are located near the university, some face heavy traffic, making timely arrivals at school a challenge.
Topher Perkins, a junior accounting major says the worst part about living off campus is the traffic and the lack of available commuter parking spots on campus.
“I would say the most negative aspect of living here is feeling a disconnect from the rest of campus. At the wrong time of day, the drive can take 15 to 20 minutes, making it difficult to commute back and forth easily,” Perkins said.
New dorms are set to open in fall 2025 so that students will no longer have to contend with long commutes and parking issues. With the addition of these new residence halls, Residence Life will suspend options for living off-campus through Samford.
Kyle Mitchell, director of Housing and Residence Life, discussed the future of the dorms.
“With new residence hall construction planned to be complete for fall 2025, these halls will add approximately 650 beds on campus. With this addition, we do not plan to utilize off-campus apartments,” Mitchell said.
On the other hand, living off campus has provided students with the opportunity to adapt to independent living and experience apartment-style housing through the safety net of Samford Residence Life.
“I love the fact that we get to live off-campus in a place like this. This newer housing, complete with a kitchen and living space, is far nicer than almost anything Samford offers,” said Perkins.
While students enjoy greater privileges in apartment living, the same rules for life on-campus also apply off-campus.
“The odd part is that it’s a normal apartment complex, not designed to accommodate residents like a dorm, but if you make use of the space, it can be a much more pleasant experience than being on campus,” Perkins said.
Room checks, prohibited items and curfews still affect all students living off-campus through Samford; however, some rules cannot be strictly enforced due to the nature of the apartment complexes, like check-ins for visitation hours.
As Samford continues to enroll more students, Residence Life is working diligently to provide accommodations. The construction of three new dorms brings hope for more convenient housing solutions for both freshmen and upperclassmen.
Staff Writer
