In addition to the outside construction occurring at West Halls, there will be several changes this summer inside the dorms.

Jordan Hall, which is currently a coed dorm, will become an all-female dorm. Thompson Hall, which is now an all-female dorm, will switch to coed. The second floor of Thompson Hall will be turned into the Information Sciences and Technology (IST) special living option.

Ryan Morgan, manager of the assignment office, said it was necessary to make Thompson Hall coed because of the special living option.

"We want to give both sexes the opportunity to live in the IST special living option," Morgan said.

Angela Salonia (freshman-business) currently lives in Thompson Hall and said she was happy the dorm is becoming coed. "It is really annoying having the strict escorting rules. It also would have been nice to make more guy friends," Salonia said.

Alissa Nickey, Thompson Hall coordinator, said the IST special living option, currently in Beaver Hall, is being relocated for convenience.

"Since the new IST Building is close to West, it makes sense to have the special living here," Nickey said.

Sean Cook, assistant director of residence life, said having an all-female dorm still available in West Halls is essential. "Making Jordan Hall all female won't significantly affect the gender balance that is currently in West," Cook said. "If we made both Hamilton and Thompson coed, there would be a disadvantage for female upperclassmen."

Jordan Hall was not capable of housing the IST special living option because of its lack of handicapped accessible services, which is required for a special living option.

"Thompson is the best candidate for the IST living option. It isn't as sprawling as Hamilton, and it won't be as difficult to change the bathrooms," Cook said. "We want to do minimal renovations and spend the least amount of money as possible."

Before students started requesting housing contracts for the fall, a displacement letter was sent to men in Jordan Hall and women on the second floor of Thompson Hall, informing the residents that they will not able to have the same room for the fall semester.

Cook said if the affected students wanted to stay in their current room and were offered a normal housing contract, they were guaranteed another room in West Halls. He added that he believes this new plan is the most logical and will benefit the most students. "Students are very competitive when it comes to living in West."