Ever wonder what housing is like on campus? This week on the podcast we sat down with Troy Lassial, the Director of Residence Life here on the Clarkson University campus to talk about the housing lottery and how it works. 

The housing lottery is the process we use to house returning students (students coming back for the next academic year). The Residence Life Office receives a list of numbers that have been randomly generated by the Office of Information Technology. Troy and the Res Life team then distribute the numbers to the students through their MyCU accounts.

These numbers are distributed based on the cohort with which a student arrives to Clarkson. For example, if you are a first-year student on campus but are academically a sophomore due to transfer credit, you would still receive a first-year student number.   

When asked what the biggest challenge is surrounding the housing lottery, Lassial talked about the notion of “is it fair?” He responded to the question by saying, “It is fair because it is based on seniority first, but there’s laws and agreements that also impact that….” Additionally, Clarkson is partnered with a number of other universities around the world to welcome international and study abroad students. 

After each academic year, Residence Life sends out an email survey about how the process went and how the housing experience was for that academic year. Lassial says that the feedback has been overall positive. “A lot of the students thought it was very helpful in their transition to Clarkson. A lot of the students thought it was really exciting and they were able to make that connection not only with other students on their floor but different offices on campus. Each floor has an advisor so they get a connection with a faculty or staff member as well.”

If you have any questions about housing please email Troy Lassial (tlassial@clarkson.edu) or visit the Office of Residence Life page (https://www.clarkson.edu/residence-life)