Amanda Bernocco
Managing Editor
Kings Hall is closed this semester to students because there are about 200 less students living on campus, according to Jennifer Fuoco, director of Residence Life. Statistics released by the Admissions Office on the university’s website show that enrollment has been dropping at LIU Post for the past couple of years.
“Due to a lack of demand for on-campus housing, Kings Hall is not occupied this semester. Kings Hall was not offered during Returning Student Room Selection and staff was never assigned to the building,” said Fuoco.
In the 2011–12 school year, there were 4,485 undergraduate students and 2,820 graduate students at LIU Post, as shown on the university’s website. During the 2012–13 school year, the enrollment dropped to 4,429 undergraduate students and 2,697 graduate students.
Rita Langdon, Public Relations director, said the 2013–14 enrollment numbers are not available at this time because the semester has just begun and students are still enrolling and registering for classes.
Jessica Falconer, a junior Forensic Science major, resided in Kings Hall last year and applied to move there again this year. “There weren’t enough people. Because enrollment is down so much there weren’t enough students to fill it. Now everyone will have a roommate and they won’t have to pay an RA [resident assistant],” said Falconer.
Falconer was notified that she had to change dorms after she submitted the application. The university switched her to Riggs Hall and she didn’t have a choice as to which hall she would move to. Falconer doesn’t mind the change and said that the two halls are very similar. She added that the bathrooms in Riggs might even be a little nicer.
Fuoco said that Kings Hall will be renovated while there are no students residing in the building.
“While Kings Hall is closed, the Facilities staff will take the opportunity to remove any remaining carpet from the rooms, install new flooring, and paint the bedrooms and common areas,” Fuoco added. “In 2009, Queens Hall was closed and underwent similar renovations. The building reopened the following year,” she added.
Amadi Weekes, a junior Biology major, who dorms in Nassau Hall noticed a change in campus life this semester since Kings Hall closed. “Everywhere I go [on campus], I don’t see anyone,” said Weekes, “Wherever I go I mostly see freshman…and that’s weird.”
Some students feel that less people are enrolling at LIU Post because of the price of tuition. When asked about the reason for the decrease in enrollment at LIU Post, Brian Harrigan, a senior Psychology major, joked by saying, “You mean besides being less expensive?”
His friend Melody Schaal, also a senior Psychology major, agreed, saying that more people are probably enrolling at state universities because of the high price at LIU Post.
Fuoco agreed that this is the reason that many students stopped dorming on campus. “The majority of students choosing not to reside on campus indicate that is due to financial difficulty.”
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