Slight changes have been made this spring semester in the UTEP Housing and Residence Life department on campus.

The official office for the department has moved to Boquillas Hall in Miner Canyon. The office was previously housed in Miner Village.

The administrative team for the department moved their offices to Miner Canyon to have a more centralized office.

According to Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Dr. Catie McCorry Andalis, the administrative team for the department has been spread out across the UTEP campus for some time.

“We moved the administrative unit to Miner Canyon so they could all be in one location and work more effectively and efficiently together and support the students’ needs,” McCorry Andalis said.

However, each housing property will still have a full-time professional coordinator.

“You want your administrative team in once place, so they’re all on the same page,” McCorry Andalis said.

Senior civil engineering major and Resident Assistant, Alex Rodriguez, never noticed any dysfunction within the department but noted that the move is a good thing for the staff and students.

“It makes things easier for residents, resident assistants and the staff because everyone is together so things are more organized and in case any problems happen the staff can get together and address them quickly,” Rodriguez said.

McCorry Andalis noted that the centralized office allows different teams within the department to communicate more effectively.

“The administrative maintenance side of house is directly impacted by the residence side of the house, and so for them to work more closely together, that’s a win-win for the students,” she said.

Last semester, UTEP hired Victoria Suttmiller as the executive director for the department who, according to McCorry Andalis, is nationally known for her work.

“I’m very pleased that we have a new leadership team. (Suttmiller) is already bringing some wonderful ideas about programming models and enhancements for academic success that are slowly being rolled out,” she said.

UTEP houses nearly 1,000 students on campus and can expect day-to-day operations to go more smoothly this semester.

Another improvement for student residents is weekly programs, which aim at helping them learn useful skills such as time management, money management and even cooking classes. Programs for student residents will now be once a week on the same day.

Senior multimedia journalism major and Resident Assistant Leslie Sariñana told The Prospector programs are a big part of community building on campus.

“This change is going to improve our programs since we’re shifting our focus and resources to making them even better as opposed to before when we had multiple programs a week at different times,” Sariñana said. “(Programs) are one of the things that make us stand out from off-campus housing choices.”

The move will also allow a strategic future growth of the north end of campus, which is where Miner Canyon and the recreation center are located.

“So as we look toward the north end of campus, (we will be) much more intentional about that relationship and collaboration,” McCorry Andalis said.

As for why students should choose to live on campus, freshman rehabilitation sciences major and resident Ariana Ibarbo said, it’s just much more practical.

“It’s more convenient because you’re closer to your classes, closer to the library and if you forget something you can go back to your dorm really fast rather than drive home,” Ibarbo said.

Rodriguez  stated that living on campus maximizes the college experience.

“Students that live on campus get the benefits of having an RA who can help as guidance, and help them learn about on campus resources,” Rodriguez said.

McCorry Andalis pointed to research that says students who live on campus perform better.

“Students who live on campus have had a 3.0 or higher and that’s because they have direct access to all the support that they need to be successful,” McCorry Andalis said.“(As a resident) you’re meeting people who come from some country far away, or another part of El Paso, for example, that you just ever interacted with and that’s an amazing journey and just really helps your own development as a person.”