As MU considers plans to renovate Manor House, university officials are still debating whether the building should be remodeled into a new residence hall or remain as an apartment format.
Currently, the complex provides housing for graduate students and students who are older than 21 or have families.
“Demand for student housing is always in excess of capacity,” Director of Residential Life Frankie Minor said about the dilemma.
Lack of housing has been an especially relevant problem for graduate students since the University Village apartments closed after a walkway collapsed, killing a firefighter.
University Village and other university-run apartment complexes — University Heights, Tara Apartments and Manor House — cater to three groups of students: graduate students, undergraduate students older than 21 and students who live with spouses or children.
Eric Hucker, vice president of the Graduate and Professional Council, said there are more students who seek housing that offers options like daycare and transportation to and from campus than the university can currently provide.
Minor said with undergraduate enrollment quickly rising, MU can’t prioritize graduate and family housing when there may not be enough space for future freshmen to live on campus.
According to the University Registrar Office’s fall 2014 report, undergraduate enrollment has increased 2.6 percent since 2013, while graduate student enrollment has fallen by 0.9 percent in the same period. This trend is generally reflected across the past four years.
Hucker said he has been concerned with decreasing availability of graduate and family housing since the closing of University Village.
“We care very deeply about the issue,” he said.
Hucker said the GPC would like to see Manor House remain open to graduate students so that fewer graduate students would have to move off campus.
Minor said one of the main causes for the scarcity in graduate housing is MU’s use of public-private partnerships with housing developers. The companies are more interested in working on undergraduate housing projects because they cost less to build and are more profitable.
“I’ve always suggested that developing affordable family and graduate student housing is something I would encourage them to consider,” Minor said.
Hucker agreed that the involvement of private contractors is a major cause of the problem.
“The undergraduate housing market is far more lucrative for them,” he said.
Minor also said that Residential Life has been conducting ongoing maintenance work on Manor House, a relatively old building that needs to be modernized.
Minor said issues with the elevators and fire alarm system have already been addressed.
The concerns left to address include replacing the plumbing and windows, which have not been replaced since the building opened, and making the building accessible to students who use wheelchairs.
Residential Life also plans to increase Manor House’s electrical capacity to accommodate the increasing number of electrical devices that students use.
Minor said that though Manor House may ultimately become a residence hall, it will remain open to its current clientele through at least fall 2015 and likely into 2016 so that current residents will have at least a year’s notice if they have to leave.
Hucker said the GPC will “take every opportunity” to make its viewpoint clear as the debate continues and that they have a “good working relationship” with Residential Life.
Although Residential Life can provide advice, the decision over what will happen to Manor House is up to those who Minor called MU’s “senior decision-makers,” including those in the chancellor’s office.
Vice Chancellor for Operations Gary Ward was unavailable for comment.