Rates for one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments in Spartan Village will remain unchanged, and the monthly rate for apartments in University Village will increase by $7 per person.

Vennie Gore, assistant vice president for residential and hospitality services, said the majority of the cost increase will go toward paying rising food and utility costs. About 1 percent of the increase will fund the debt service costs for recent renovations in cafeterias and residence halls, he said.

In an attempt to improve residence hall life for students, Gore said MSU plans to introduce a new online roommate matching system next year in which incoming freshmen can answer a five-question survey to better match them with a roommate through a Facebook application.

“It’s very similar to what you may see (on a dating website), but it’s a little bit different,” he said.

Predental freshman Logan White, who lives in Bryan Hall this year and plans to live on campus next year, said he is glad Brody Neighborhood facilities are receiving upgrades because “they really need it.” White also said he feels the rate increase is justified with rising food costs in the U.S.

Renovating cafeterias and residence halls are important to keep an attractive place for new students, MSU Trustee Melanie Foster said.

“The freshman of today is not the freshman of 20 years ago,” Foster said. “The incoming class is much more discriminate about their quality of life.”

Jazz studies sophomore Ella Campbell said having access to recently renovated Brody Square is “awesome,” but the cafeteria in Landon Hall has equipment problems she thinks should have been made a priority.

“We didn’t need new furniture if the freezer is broken,” Campbell said.

Campbell also said she feels having qualified faculty is the most important item for attracting students to MSU.

Jazz studies freshman Hannah Dexter added she feels the meal plan isn’t a good deal and wishes there were options besides the unlimited plans.

“It’s all you can eat, but you can eat there 99 times a week,” Dexter said. “That’s excessive.”
MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said living in the residence halls costs about $36 per day for a room, unlimited food, fresh linens and utilities — an “extraordinary value.”

Part of this year’s increase also is because the university didn’t set aside money in the past for renovating the residence halls, she said.

During the meeting, 33 undergraduate seniors were honored for graduating in May
with 4.0 grade point averages, and the board also approved authorization to plan for building an anaerobic digester on south campus farms — a facility that would improve campus manure management and provide renewable energy.