College Planning & Management

MAY 2013

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Observation Privately built tend to be larger, with more beds and more space but less space per pupil. Larger buildings cost more, but private builders are able to hold sq. ft. costs and cost per bed down. Private builders provide more single and double rooms and more private bathroom facilities than projects built by colleges. Colleges may encourage larger groupings but may be paying a premium for them. Privately constructed residences tend to provide more fitness rooms. More college builders provide dining facilities. Otherwise there appears to be little difference. Private builders provide more exteror surveillance; colleges may depend on existing systems. Colleges tend to provide less surveillance inside buildings, possibly because it can be intrusive. Total estimated cost of the projects was almost $15B. Many more residence halls were opened in this 11-year period, but chose not to share information with their colleagues. We have no way to measure those halls, but based on incidental information that can be and has been collected, total residence hall construction over the last 11 years certainly exceeded $35B. OTHER FINDINGS The cost of residence halls has risen, but perhaps not as much as might be expected. From 2003 through 2008, cost per square foot rose relatively rapidly (see Graph A on page 30), from $148 to $231, but 2008 may have been an aberration. Since then costs have fallen and, among reporting projects, have stabilized nationally around $200 per sq. ft. The Recession started in 2008 and, as a result, there may have been more competition for construction contracts, holding costs down. Another possible factor could be the increased use of private construction firms. As shown in Table 5, their median cost ranged around $157 per square foot compared with $207 in college-constructed projects. Median cost per bed over the fi rst two years of the study was about $45,000 (see Graph B). Five years later it had stabilized around $69,000 per student. Among the current group, the median cost is $67,973 per student, further indicating that there has been some stabilization. The 2011 cost ($78,153 per bed) apparently was an aberration. The space allocated per bed over 10 years (see Graph C) averaged out at 333 sq. ft. This year's median, 336 sq. ft., fits with that pattern. That does not mean every bed is in an area of 333 sq. ft. The calculation was made by dividing the total space of the residence hall by the number of students to be accommodated. Most residence halls today include significant additional space, including TV rooms, study rooms, laundry rooms, computer centers, kitchens, and social space. Over the 10 years, more than one-third of new residence halls included classrooms, and fitness rooms are occurring more and more often. In calculating space per bed (or student), the total size of the residence hall with all of its facilities, corridors, and similar spaces is calculated and then divided by the number of students to be housed. CPM The 2013 Campus Housing Report and the accompanying tables and graphs were compiled by Paul Abramson, education industry consultant for College Planning & Management magazine and the president of Stanton Leggett & Associates, an education consulting firm based in Mamroneck, NY. He can be reached at intelled@aol.com. EXPEL GERMS QUICKLY. Germs can transmit illness on almost any surface. Fortunately, Clorox® Hydrogen Peroxide Disinfecting Cleaner kills 37 pathogens — including MRSA, CA-MRSA, Norovirus, Rhinovirus, Rotavirus and Infuenza — without harsh chemical fumes. And it kills infection-causing germs in as fast as 30 seconds, quickly cutting down their spread. Find more classroom solutions at Cloroxprofessional.com SMART and TOUGH © 2013 Clorox Professional Products Company. Use as directed on hard, nonporous surfaces. NI-20367 MAY 2013 / COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 29

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