Next year, there will bring new housing arrangements for Milligan students. The announcement was made on Nov. 12, that Williams Hall will become a male residence hall starting in the fall of 2020.
This decision came based on the growing student body, particularly the increase in male students. According to U.S. News & World Report, male students accounted for 43% of Milligan’s population.
According to the Director of Student Success and Disability Services, Heather Jackson, at the beginning of the semester, they ran out of rooms in Webb Hall causing 16 male students to be placed in Milligan Student House.
Currently there are three male dorms, Webb, Kegley and Quillen, plus the Village. There are also three female dorms, Sutton, Hart and Williams, plus the Village. Williams becoming a male residence hall will make four total male dorms, leaving females with only two dorms. “By making Williams a male residence hall, we will provide 24 additional beds for male students,” said Jackson.
William’s Hall is also the only upperclassmen women’s dorm. This change is leaving some female students worried about their living situations for next year. Junior Rachel Robinson, who currently lives in Williams, said “I didn’t think about the stress it would place on us getting into the Village next year.”
Sarah Masih, who is the current resident assistant for Williams, shared similar thoughts, saying that she thinks this change will make getting into the Village much more competitive.
She also said she thinks the dynamics of how girls decide to apply for the upperclassmen housing will change due to the limited rooms. “Most of my residents are juniors and were planning on being in the Village next year,” said Masih. “I think this change has made them a little worried.”
Despite this, Jackson claims this change will not take away the chance of or affect the way female students get into the Village. They plan on keeping the application process the same as it has always been, and it will accept the same number of students.
Both Robinson and Masih said that they expected this change to occur, and that the news was bittersweet but necessary. “Overall, it holds promise that the school is growing,” said Robinson.
Headline photo: Williams Hall will become a male residence hall starting in the fall of 2020. Photo credit to milligan.edu.