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Thank you for taking time to share your thoughts about the upcoming change for Moses Hall. I thought it might be helpful for you to have the opportunity to review the letter provided to Moses Hall residents.

I am sorry to learn that you did not have a good experience in Mosher while you were a student. That's unfortunate. I agree with you that having a good experience as a fish is important. I also agree that current students play an important role in helping new students have a positive experience and get started in college on the right foot. Doing these things well is an important role that living on campus in the residence halls plays. We certainly want to do everything we can in Residence Life to support those goals. Fortunately we have good data at A&M to show that students living on campus do better academically and are more apt to be retained as a student than those living off campus. However that certainly does not mean we do not have room to improve. We certainly do and we are working on ways to do just that.

The letter to Moses residents talks briefly about the direction the University is now taking in regard to campus housing and the increased emphasis on the positive role residence halls have on the academic success of students. The new approach that the University is asking us to take, focuses on living learning communities which have been shown to impact students in many positive ways. The primary role that upperclass students take in living learning communities is that of a peer mentor, peer educator, or peer advisor. Although the emphasis in living learning communities is clearly more on academics, the community building role is also equally important. We have several good examples that are already showing much success. These include the Leadership Living Learning Community, the Aggie Access Learning Community, the Regents Scholars Program, the Engineering Living Learning Community, and the Honors Program. Because these programs have been so successful, the University has asked us to find ways to create more programs like these for other students. Our ideas for what shape the program will take in Moses Hall are still in the process of being developed, but we are very excited about the possibilities.

In trying to decide which hall to pick for the expansion of the living learning program, we looked at a variety of factors. We know that for the students coming to Texas A&M today, the corridor community bath residence halls are by far the least selected and least preferred by today's students. Most students who come to Texas A&M today have had their own bedroom and their own bathroom. Most have never shared a bathroom or a bedroom with anyone. Because students and parents now have so many choices for campus housing in the Bryan/College Station area, (especially the type and kind they desire), we are finding that they are electing to move of campus rather than live in a community bath residence hall on campus. Although we know that community bath halls do indeed develop increased community, we are finding it increasingly difficult to attract students to these halls. Parents and students are also very interested in the academic benefits provided by living learning communities. As result, it is clear that we need to find ways to make our corridor style halls more attractive to incoming students and parents.

In addition to looking at residence hall type and style, before making a decision about which hall to choose, we looked at things like damage and vandalism, academic performance, discipline cases and issues, and student involvement. In looking at these things, it appeared that perhaps the community in Moses Hall was in need of a change. As a result, I made the decision that we would expand the living learning community to Moses Hall for the coming academic year. If it works well, I anticipate that we may make similar changes to other corridor style halls.

As stated in the letter, we will give priority to Moses residents who wish to return to campus housing. However due to space limitations in other halls, and an increased overall demand for campus housing, (the University has decided to admit a greater number of students again this fall), we will not have the ability to house them together in large groups.

I do recognize that not everyone is happy about my decision to make a change in Moses Hall. I understand and accept that. Having worked at Texas A&M in campus housing for more than 30 years, I also know that change is sometimes hard for our campus. The University is moving in new directions. Many individuals on campus are working very hard to find new ways to meet the needs and demands of today's students. It is important for campus housing to get on board and support where the University is going. I would not have made the change in Moses Hall if I did not feel that it was in the over all best interest of on campus housing and the students of Texas A&M.

I apologize for the long response, but I wanted to provide you with some of the background and information that led up to the decision to make this change. Based on what I read in your message, I think you and I are really on the same page. Although we may differ on the best approach, we both care about students, we both want students to be involved and connected to our campus in positive ways, and we both believe in the benefits that living on campus can provide.

Thank you again for taking time from your busy schedule to send a message. Have a great day.

Ron Sasse
Director of Residence Life
1253 TAMU
Grove Site - Bldg #8901
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas 77843-1253
979-862-3158 (office)
979-458-3652 (direct line)
979-862-2434 (fax)
<ron@housing.tamu.edu> (e-mail)

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Dear Moses Hall Residents, March 13, 2007

The purpose of this letter is to inform the residents of Moses Hall that beginning in August of 2007, Moses Hall will be converted to a new incoming freshmen coed residence hall in support of the university goals of improving the freshmen year experience at Texas A&M University. In addition to the conversion of Moses Hall to a coed freshmen hall, study rooms and a room for academic tutoring will be added, as well as programming focused on helping new incoming freshmen be more successful academically. It is our intention that this successful program will be used in other halls in the near future.

What this means to residents currently living in Moses Hall is that you will not have the option of returning to live in Moses for 2007-2008 academic year. Decision 2007 will take place February 26 through March 2, 2007. At that time you can either transfer to another hall, transfer to the University College Avenue Apartments, or cancel your on campus housing contract. Moses Hall residents will have a priority for hall changes since you are required to vacate Moses Hall.

Moses Hall was chosen for this new program for several reasons including the fact that it is a corridor style hall. From the community standpoint, halls with community bathrooms, like Moses, are one of the easiest halls to create a sense of community. Getting to know one another in your community is important, especially for freshmen.

Other reasons Moses was chosen include but are not limited to what you will see listed below.

1. Historically, Moses Hall has an extremely high damage and vandalism rate. Since 1999, Moses Hall has had over $16,000 worth of unaccounted damage. As of November 14, 2006 Moses Hall has had over $4,000 worth of damage for this academic year.
2. Moses Hall has low academic record as compared to other residence halls. Since 1999, Moses Hall overall grade point average has ranked in the lowest quarter of all male residence halls.
3. Moses Hall has the highest number of discipline incidents compared to other corridor style of halls. From fall 2004 – December 7, 2006 there have been 457 reported incidents involving Moses hall. This type of behavior/culture along with the high occurence of vandalism has been very disappointing and is not conducive to creating a positive living environment that the Department of Residence Life seeks to create on campus.

(More Information on Back)
4. Moses Hall has not had a recognized Residence Hall Council for more than 4 years, which indicates a clear lack of student participation in the Residence Hall Association.

It is because of these same reasons that as a group, Moses Hall residents will not be permitted to move as a “block or large cluster” to another on campus residence hall. Roommates will be allowed to move together depending on space availability.

We are excited to bring this new program to Texas A&M University and even more pleased to support the work of President Gates who stated at the 2006 State of the University address:

“Efforts will be focused in particular on implementing the recommendations of the Task Force on Improving Undergraduate education. The recommendations were so sweeping that last winter I appointed two implementation working groups to devise plans for moving ahead. The first, chaired by Vice Chancellor and Dean of Agriculture and Life Science Elsa Murano, has recommended:
-- all entering freshmen at Texas A&M should have the opportunity to enroll in one small academic class during their first semester;
-- all entering freshmen should have the opportunity to be part of a learning community to aid in their successful transition to university academic expectations and to enhance their connections with a diverse group of individuals;
-- high-quality, value-added educational activities should be available for all students, including an academic minor in leadership development; participation in professional internship/immersion experiences; international educational experiences; rigorous academic opportunities in a strengthened honors program and, eventually, creation of an honors college; and a better integration of the in- and out-of-classroom experience;
-- make inquiry/research-based learning standard in every major;
-- increase access and opportunities for students on and off-campus through innovative technology-mediated instruction and distance learning technologies; and
-- ensure the quality of the academic experience through high-quality advising, better use of summer school and improvements in the core curriculum.”

If you have questions about your housing options, please contact the Housing Assignments office located in Legett Basement or e-mail housing@tamu.edu.

Sincerely,


Ron Sasse
Director of Residence Life

xc.: Dr. Dave Parrott, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs

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They destroyed the dorm and cost the university thousands of dollars to clean up the messes they've made, not just in the past year, but in the past decades.

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3. Moses Hall has the highest number of discipline incidents compared to other corridor style of halls. From fall 2004 – December 7, 2006 there have been 457 reported incidents involving Moses hall. This type of behavior/culture along with the high occurence of vandalism has been very disappointing and is not conducive to creating a positive living environment that the Department of Residence Life seeks to create on campus.

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Same thing happened to Davis-Gary in the early 90's.

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may i be one of the first to say...Good riddance.

Hopefully Walton is next.

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Wouldn't think the girls would be too happy with that one - guess no more heading to the shower in a towel!

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