SAVANNAH—Early indicators suggest Savannah State University will have another year of record-breaking enrollment, which exceeded 3,800 last fall. 

 

Approximately 700 new students registered for classes during the new STAR — student testing, advisement and registration — sessions held during the summer. New students who did not attend the summer STAR sessions will go through advisement and registration Tuesday. 

 

On Aug. 7, administrators and student leaders welcomed approximately 700 first-time college students to new student orientation where they were introduced to university services and resources. “Making the Right Connections” was the theme for orientation, which continues through today. Prior to the start of orientation on Saturday, residential students with campus room assignments received keys and began moving into their rooms. 

 

The demand for campus housing has exceeded the supply of approximately 2,251 beds in six residential facilities. Students who submitted housing applications on or before July 22 received room assignments; however, to accommodate approximately 75 students — freshmen and upperclassmen — on the housing waitlist, six study rooms in Bostic Hall will be converted to temporarily house three students each. The overflow measure, which includes a housing fee discount for impacted students, is temporary until rooms become available through attrition or no-shows.

 

Some relief for the housing demand may come as soon as next fall when the first phase of a new, 600- bed housing project is expected to open on the historic circle. The modern, semi-suite and suite-style housing will replace Peacock and Bostic halls, which currently house a total of 380

students. Later in the academic year, Peacock will be demolished to make room for the new housing, which includes the rehabilitation of Adams and

Morgan halls for meeting rooms and other residential amenities. Bonds to finance the $24 million project are expected to close in December.

 

The influx of students also means extra vehicles on campus. To improve safety and traffic flow, a new one-way corridor has been introduced on the western portion of campus between Tompkins Road and Jasmine Avenue. 

 

Other road changes will be forthcoming during the year.

 

Established in 1890, Savannah State University is on the move to become the best value-added university in the nation. The university’s 3,800 students are enrolled in 23 undergraduate and five graduate programs in three colleges: Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Business Administration and Sciences and Technology.