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Turning Up the Heat

As New Mexico’s cooler months approach, preparations are underway to switch from air-conditioning to heat in NMSU’s residence halls, apartments and student family housing units.

Student Government for Campus Residents (SGCR) selected the week of November 7 through 14 to begin the conversion from air-conditioning to heat for residents of Garcia Hall, Monagle Hall, Rhodes Garrett Hamiel Hall, Pinon Hall and Chamisa Apartments.

Winterization of air-conditioners and activation of heaters in student family housing units, Vista del Monte and Cervantes apartment complexes will be on going for several weeks with an anticipated completion of approximately mid-November.

Winter Holiday Break Housing

All residence halls close on Saturday, December 12, for the Winter Holiday. Students who live in Pinon, Garcia, Monagle or Rhodes Garrett Hamiel Halls with no alternative but to stay on campus during the Winter Holiday must apply for “break housing”. Campus housing during the Winter Holiday is very limited and will be assigned on a first-come, first served basis. Visit the central Housing Office in the Educational Services Building to sign-up for break housing. Residents will be accommodated in Cervantes Village apartments. The charge for break housing is $13/night and will be added to your student account. Questions? Call (575) 646-3202.

Spring Semester Housing Information for Current Residents

If you are a current resident, your housing agreement provides you with services through the end of the academic year. Your current assignment will continue automatically and charges will be assessed to your student account for your current space.

If you are interested in moving to a different space on campus for the spring term, be sure to participate in the transfer process during the first week of December. Space for transfers will be very limited and more details will be sent to your NMSU email account before the Thanksgiving holiday.

NMSU’s Housing and Residential Life to Receive $88,000 Rebate for Energy Efficiencies

In the past three years, New Mexico State University’s Housing and Residential Life has made several moves toward sustainability. The latest is scrapping old, energy-wasting appliances and bringing in new, more energy-efficient models – a move that has earned NMSU an $88,000 rebate from El Paso Electric Company.

NMSU recently installed nearly 300 energy-efficient evaporative air conditioners in student family housing and apartment communities around campus. The upgrades qualified NMSU to receive a rebate through El Paso Electric’s Energy Saver Program. “This is part of a continuing energy-efficient plan that has been in the works for the past three years,” said Julie Weber, director of NMSU’s Housing and Residential Life.

Weber said plans are underway to somehow reinvest the rebate back to the students.

For Housing and Residential Life, the shift toward being more energy efficient also has included the installation of new stoves, refrigerators, washers and dryers at the Vista Del Monte, Cervantes Village, Tom Fort, Sutherland and Cole Village housing areas. Weber said the changes control university costs, as well as coincide with NMSU’s sustainability efforts.

“About 3,000 energy-efficient appliances have been installed in these areas in the past three years,” said Greg Block, associate director of Housing and Residential Life.

New Furniture

New furniture has been installed in all apartments in the Vista Del Monte Community. Seven of the eleven buildings received the new furniture in June 2009. Matching furniture was installed in the remaining 4 buildings last summer. Replacing the previous furniture are full-size beds, larger dressers that can be tucked under the beds for added floor space, cafe style tables and chairs, leather lounge chairs with ottomans and small couches.

The efficiency apartments in the Cervantes Apartment Community also received new furniture this summer. Maximizing space and comfort are twin extra long bed units with built-in dressers, bookshelves and added storage. New desks with expanded storage and new desk chairs complete the improvements.

Wireless Internet Service Expanding

Residents in portions of Cervantes Village, Vista del Monte Apartments and the Greek/ROTC complex now enjoy wireless Internet service. The new wireless service replaces the old Long Range Ethernet (LRE) service previously used to provide Internet access in those areas. “This is just the first step toward expanding wireless service capacity throughout the campus housing system”, said Julie Weber, Director of Housing and Residential Life. “LRE, as a technology, is disappearing and it made sense to begin our move toward wireless service by starting with those areas that depended upon LRE for Internet access.”
In the coming months, wireless service will be extended into the living spaces of buildings with high speed Ethernet or DSL service already available. The new wireless service will complement the existing services, offering students more choices and greater flexibility when accessing Internet resources.