By Robert Greeley
Rachelle Clark, director of Housing Service, is excited about another school year, as uOttawa welcomed and recreated a sense of home for 4,174 students in 11 residences.
That sense of home is key. A childhood home creates lifelong memories — markings on the wall where you were measured as you grew, the smells of home cooking floating through the hallways. And when it’s time to leave the nest, the first new home many young adults move to is a university residence.
“Living in residence provides a sense of community,” Clark says. “It’s like a self-contained village. People work, study, play and eat here. Anything you could possibly need is right at your fingertips."
This year, the University has added a brand-new residence to its inventory. The coed Annex residence is a modern, well-equipped building at Laurier and Friel, just minutes from campus. Every bedroom has an en-suite bathroom, and comfortable common areas include a games room and terrace.
The Annex’s more than 500 residents will have access to 24-hour support and mentorship from on-site staff. The opening of the new residence will make up for much of the accommodation space that was lost with the decommissioning of the older Brooks residence.
Now that the Annex is open, uOttawa has increased the number of residence spaces for students from 2,900 to 4,174 since 2014. With applications for residence up 13% this year, not every student who applied could be accommodated. However, Clark is pleased that the University has been able to offer a residence space to every first-year student who met the application deadline.
Experiencing uOttawa student life through residence gives a special sense of pride about what it means to be a Gee-Gee. Students get easy access to many resources that help them attain academic goals, attend campus events, build lasting friendships and feel part of a community. Residence is an extension of the learning experience, one that helps foster a sense of global citizenship. Add in a Gee-Gees Pass, and students can attend many cultural, social and sporting events right on their doorstep.