WNMU
Press Releases

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 8/29/01

SILVER CITY—If the number of students living in university housing at Western New Mexico University this semester is any indication, then enrollment may be on the rise on campus.

The Housing Department is reporting a 15 percent increase in the residence halls this fall semester.

"This is the highest it has been in at least five years," says Peggy Lankford, WNMU Residence Life and Housing Director.

Official enrollment figures for the fall 2001 semester will not be available until census date on Sept. 7.

Lankford attributes the increase to good recruiting, an improving retention rate and recent improvements in the residence halls.

Plans are in place to continue improving the condition of the resident housing such as replacing heating furnaces and restoring some of the facilities to the glory of WNMU’s early years.

Three student dormitories and two family housing complexes make up the housing facilities.

The housing staff recently worked to restore the TV Lounge in Ritch Hall, the women’s dormitory, as close to its original state of the 1930’s as possible with a newly sanded and varnished wood floor and retuned and re-keyed the original baby grand piano.

"Ritch Hall is looking brighter and newer than it has looked in 25 years," said Lankford. "We are directing funding back into the facilities to bring all of them up to a standard that students will feel comfortable living in and enjoy a good quality of life."

Lankford, in her third year as housing director, says her top priority is to continue to improve the condition of the dorms.

Students in the dormitories now have access to the Internet from their rooms using the university Ethernet telecommunications capabilities rather than using the slower modems. The university also provides local telephone service and cable television in their rooms.

The number of rooms available in the Regents Row married housing facility was reduced this summer when the WNMU Child Development Center was relocated there in anticipation of the renovation of Sechler-Rhodes Hall. Work will begin later this year on the $1.4 million renovation project approved by the state legislature and voters.

In addition to overseeing the residence halls, Lankford also supervises the Mustang Dining Services which includes the cafeteria and catering service.

We just completed our first year with Sodexho and we have been very pleased with their performance. The use of the cafeteria has risen so substantially that we have had to extend the hours of operation, she said.

"I encourage the community to come on campus and eat in our facilities or utilize the catering service for special events," said Lankford. "They do a wonderful job."

The cost of the all you can eat lunch at the cafeteria is $4.50.

For more information on housing contact Lankford at (505) 538-6629 or for catering service call (505) 538-6111.