This is the fourth in a weekly series comparing Ohio University to the other five Mid-American Conference universities in Ohio.
Ohio University is not the only Ohio college to require students to live on campus for two years.
Of the six Mid-American universities in Ohio, OU is one of five colleges where students must live in the residence halls for two years.
The six MAC universities in Ohio include OU, Miami University, Bowling Green State University, the University of Toledo, Kent State University and the University of Akron.
OU requires students to live in the residence halls for two years for a variety of reasons including academic retention benefits, Pete Trentacoste, executive director of Housing and Residence Life, said.
“National and local research indicate that students who live on campus are more likely to have a higher GPA than their commuting peers,” Trentacoste said in an email. “In addition, we know from research on our own campus that students who live on campus have a greater likelihood of graduating, and first-year students who live on campus are more likely to be retained into their second year than their commuting peers.”
Elizabeth Pugh, a sophomore studying social work, does not like OU’s two-year requirement.
“I wish I was in an apartment because I don’t like rules,” Pugh said. “There you get to do whatever you want when you can live on your own.”
She said one advantage of living in the residence halls is having a meal plan.
“I think one year is a good idea because you meet people, but I’d be cool with one year and then being done,” Pugh said.
National research shows students who live on campus are more involved with their university, Trentacoste said.
A 2010 report from the Center for Applied Economics and Policy Research states that students living in the residence halls can have higher GPAs and can live in a better learning environment.
“Students living on campus perceive themselves as safer, more informed about campus activities, and report a closer relationship with the university than do those living off campus,” Trentacoste said in an email.
Those living in the residence halls also do not have to worry about doing "domestic activities," such as cooking and grocery shopping, Trentacoste said.
OU’s two-year requirement to live in the residence halls dates back to the early 1970s, Trentacoste said.
Jake Glockner, a sophomore studying industrial engineering, said second-year students should be able to choose if they want to live on campus or off campus.
“I definitely recommend living in a dorm first year, but I definitely think you should have a choice second year,” Glokner said.
The University of Akron is the only university that requires students to live on-campus for just one year.
“For our students, the first year has been shown to be the most important for student retention,” UA Spokesperson Wayne Hill said in an email. “In addition, we have a total of 2,888 university owned and operated spaces for students and would not have enough room to require both first- and second-year students to live on campus.”
Starting this academic year, the University of Toledo requires students to live on campus for their first two years in order to boost retention and graduation rates, UT Spokesperson Meghan Cunningham said.
Kent State, BGSU and Miami also have a two year requirement of living on-campus.
