Memo

To: Javier Gutierrez, residential life

From: Jessica Goldberg
Date: October 16, 2015
Subject: Proposal to study the feasibility of building new apartments on campus.
The purpose of this memo is asking for permission to conduct a feasibility study on building new
apartments on the Hamline University campus. Once permission is received I will create a report
with detailed information regarding this feasibility.
Summary
Hamline Universitys enrollment of upper classmen is 2,120 students, the total undergraduate
enrollment has been increasing on average 2.6 % per year of the past five years. There is not
enough student housing spot for upper classmen. Hamline University needs to meet these
upperclassmen housing needs. I want to research the feasibility of adding adequate housing on
campus. With current enrollment numbers and Hamline Universitys 20 year plan there is
enough information to create a feasibility report if permission is given.
Introduction
Hamline University currently has six dorms buildings, Osborn, Peterson, Schilling, Drew, Sorin
and Manor. Osborn Peterson, and Schilling all in an area Hamline University calls the Heights.
These buildings are the freshman dorms and every floor is co-ed. The Heights can fit 100
students in each building. Drew Hall was originally built for men only. Now it is a co-ed dorm
and houses 200 undergrads. In Drew Hall there is a floor for new incoming transfer students.
When Sorin Hall was originally built in 1958, it was dedicated to be a womens dorm. Now
Sorin is single gender by floor and can house 100 students per floor. Manor Hall was built in
1922 and housed only women at that time. It is now co-ed and can house 150 students. Manor
Hall is meant to be for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Adding all the dorms together that
equals 950 full time students on campus. Hamline University also has apartments that are
available to students. The eligibility for an apartment is to be a returning upperclassmen, law
student, graduate student, married, students 25 years of age or older. Hamline University doesnt
own any homes to rent to students but they will help students find a home in the nearby
neighborhoods to rent.
Each year the undergraduate program grows at Hamline University. In the year 2000 the
undergraduates had a total of 1,698 full time students. In 2008 there was a dramatic jump to
1,953 full time undergraduate students. Currently in 2015 the undergraduate class is still
increasing and the full time students is now 2,120. As I added up before there is only about 950
student that can live in the dorms. There are so many student who do not have the option of
living on campus because we simply ran out of room for them. Three of those the dorms are for
incoming freshmens. The upper classman dont have as many options for living space as the
freshmens do. Upper classmans most likely find housing nearby or commute to campus. Do
they really want to live off campus or do they feel they are getting kicked out of the dorms? I
think Hamline University needs to add another apartment building for the upper classmen to
increase on campus living space.

Hamline University has a 5 year plan and a 20 year plan. This plan was developed in 2008 so
some changes have been made already but they still have a ways to go. Hamline University has
about 60 acres and their goal is to increase housing and parking so they can handle a larger
undergraduate student body. Within five years from 2008 (so in 2013) they plan to increase the
growth of undergraduates by 25 percent so it would add up to 2,500 undergrads. Currently in
2015 Hamline University is close to that amount of students, we are at 2,120. In Hamline
Universitys five year plan they want to extend campus one block south of Minnehaha Avenue
and replace the residence hall at Minnehaha Avenue and Pascal Street. This has not been started
but they plan on putting a new dorm in that area which is right behind the current Hamline
University apartment building. Instead of putting another dorm there why not add another
apartment building. Hamline University already has six dorms, I do not think we need anymore.
In Hamline Universitys 20 year plan (so in 2028) their idea is to convert the corner of Snelling
and Minnehaha Avenues into a plaza, expand the student center and add more housing, parking,
classrooms and offices. The plan has not been done yet either but we could also use this area to
create another apartment building. The reason why having anther Hamline apartment would be
beneficial for the students because it is cheaper then living in a house off campus, accessibility to
the school, socialization increases, and events are on campus.
Proposed Procedure
Completed research
Researched the Hamline University undergraduate enrolment over the years
Reviewed the Hamline University 5 year plan
Reviewed the Hamline University 20 year plan
Researched the Hamline University information on the Hamline University dorm
buildings
Future research
Research more on information about the cost and average size of an apartment building
Research more on other schools apartment buildings and what they have to offer for
living space
Research Hamline fundings
Research the amount of students that would be able to live in an apartment building
Survey the student body about housing needs
Criteria
Is there enough on campus housing for the current enrollment?
Is there an ideal location to build a new apartment building?
Would students recommend more apartment living on campus?

Qualifications
I am a student at Hamline University. My freshman year I lived in the one of dorms on campus
in the Heights. My sophomore year I commuted form home which was about a 20-25 minute
drive. This year (junior year) I live in a house near campus. The reason why I picked this as my
feasibility project is because my sophomore year I would have liked the option of living in the
Hamline apartments, but I heard that the apartments are hard to get in and the rooms fill up fast. I
have many friends who have also tried to get into the apartments but couldnt. If you are not

within the eligibility requirements for the Hamline apartments then you are most likely not going
to get in. Having more apartment on campus can decrease that problem for many students.

Schedule
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Choosing a feasibility topic. September 27, 2015

Questionnaire/survey. October 17,2015
Feasibility proposal. October 18, 2015
Graphic assignment. November 1, 2015
Feasibility rough draft. November 15, 2015
Final feasibility report. November 29, 2015

Reference
Hamline University (2015) Office of institutional effectiveness. Historical fall enrollment.
Retrieved from http://www.hamline.edu/offices/institutional-effectiveness/basic-data/
Hamline University (2015) Housing. Retrieved from
https://www.hamline.edu/offices/housing/residence-halls.html
Friedrich A. (2008) Hamline sketches its vision of a larger, greener campus. Retrieved from
http://www.twincities.com/ci_9078721