OU’s continuous student growth has led to the expansion of on-campus student housing to prioritize incoming first-year students, raising concerns from upperclassmen.
OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. confirmed to OU Daily editors on Oct. 7 that the university is considering turning Traditions East into first-year student housing, requiring upperclassmen and international students to find housing off campus.
“There’s a lot of conversation going into that,” Harroz said. “One of the good things about having Stewart Berkinshaw as Senior VP of Strategy and Finance is it allows us to have one person who’s looking at these big questions and saying, ‘What is the best use of this? How do we provide better services?’ We don’t have an answer yet.”
Traditions Square East on Oct. 7th.
Harroz announced Berkinshaw’s hire as OU Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in January overseeing financial operations and strategies across all three campuses.
Traditions Square Apartments are the only on-campus units available for upperclass students, according to the OU Housing and Food Services website. The website also notes that there will be no residence hall rooms available to upperclassmen for the 2026-27 academic year.
Harroz said the university is weighing the positives and negatives of making the change.
“What do we do if we grow and we need Traditions? How do we handle that?” Harroz said. “We’re working on that in detail and wouldn’t just spring it on people. We’ll lay out what (that) looks like and how we make sure (that) gets done.”
Harroz said that finding a balance is something the university is working on in detail.
“How do we handle freshmen? How do we handle upperclassmen, if they’re impacted? How do we handle a really unique group of international students? …” Harroz asked. “How do you manage it so they’re hopefully in a good or a better position?”
Student opinions
OU Student Government Association President Avery Dunlap wrote in an email to OU Daily that this concern has been raised and discussed within SGA and Student Affairs leadership.
“The moves OU is making in housing will be beneficial in the long run, however, students will have to adjust in the coming years as OU completes their housing plan,” Dunlap wrote. “My advice is to stay informed, begin planning ahead on your own, and seek advice if there are gaps in housing literacy.”
Dunlap wrote that SGA meets with Student Affairs leadership weekly and has also met with housing leadership to address this issue.
“I can assure you we are advocating for the populations on campus that rely on campus housing and bettering their experience while on campus,” Dunlap wrote.
Kade Kapper, an architecture senior, said he has had several struggles with off-campus housing during his time at OU.
“When I first got here, I had an apartment that was a complete shit hole,” Kapper said. “There were roaches and everything, so we had to deal with that. Then we were immediately trying to find a new place to live.”
Kapper said rent increases and long commutes to campus have also presented challenges in his search for housing. After transferring to OU as a sophomore, he lived in a house off-campus with his roommates and has since experienced increasing difficulty.
“My roommate is graduating this semester, so now my girlfriend and I are looking for a place for this upcoming year,” Kapper said. “It’s not as easy as it was just because rent is getting higher.”
Cheradin Jackson, a health and exercise science senior, said finding semi-affordable housing is challenging due to a general lack of information about apartments in Norman.
Jackson said housing quality and accessibility impacted her friends, with one of them commuting every day from Tulsa following their negative experiences with off-campus housing. The commute from Tulsa to OU is over 125 miles with an expected commute time of roughly two hours.
“Our living situation was so bad, (commuting is) kind of worth it,” Jackson said.
For Jackson, apartment quality is a big concern. She believes the university could do more to help upperclassmen by providing more information about off-campus housing.
“If OU implemented some type of system saying ‘This apartment has four stars, this is what they offer, this is the rent, this is the utilities they cover or this apartment does X, Y and Z,’ that would be helpful,” Jackson said.
Dunlap said the Campus Activities Council is working on a potential housing exploration opportunity for future students.
“CAC is working hard on a housing fair for students to check out apartments, leasing agencies, and alternative options,” Dunlap wrote.
Kapper said the university can help by expanding student-housing options for upperclassmen.
“They are going to have to build some more (student housing),” Kapper said.
Dunlap wrote that the largest concern she hears from upperclassmen regarding housing is the time frame around lease signing.
“For many apartments near campus, students must sign leases early into the year to get premium rates, ensure room availability, and confirm any accessibility needs,” Dunlap wrote. “This puts a strain on many students, specifically as they apply for Resident Adviser positions.”
A Resident Adviser, better known as an RA, is a student staff member in a college residence hall who acts as a peer leader, mentor, and resource for residents. RAs at OU receive free housing and food and preferred parking.
Dunlap suggested that a quicker application window for housing would give students more time to prepare.
“RAs do not often hear back until the prime window for lease signing has passed, causing issues in their personal timing,” Dunlap wrote. “Pushing this application process and notice forward would allow students greater foresight.”
Kapper said local apartments frequently reach capacity.
“The Ave is always full, and RedPoint, that are technically off campus student housing, those are always full,” Kapper said. “Those are pretty hard to get if you’re not quick enough.”
The Ave at Norman Apartments on Jan. 31.
Kapper said first-year students who will need to find off-campus housing in the future should start looking at options as soon as possible.
“The earlier the better, … especially if (you are wanting)a house,” Kapper said. “Getting on it early is the best thing you can do.”
Jackson recommends other students take their time when selecting where to live.
“Really know your roommates and who you want to live with,” Jackson said. “Look at the stipulations. … This is where you’re going to live for a year, … so I wouldn’t rush into it.”
Rent increases, living opportunities
Rent in Norman is on the rise, impacting both on-campus and off-campus living.
Earlier this summer, the OU Board of Regents listed increases in student-housing rates, which fell between 3%-6%.
In September 2024, the median rent for all bedrooms and property types in Norman was $1,300, according to Zillow. As of Oct. 24, this number has increased to $1,517.
Rent increases may be reflective of OU’s move to the Southeastern Conference in 2024. Norman Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Scott Martin told OU Daily in 2024 that moving to the SEC would contribute to additional rent increases across Norman.
Scott Martin speaks at the Norman City Council Candidate Forums on Monday, February 5.
Martin updated the OU Daily about these rent increases in an Oct. 14 interview.
“We had a lot of projections, expectations, some hopes, and things that were based on historical trends from other universities that entered the SEC,” Martin said. “We’ve either met or exceeded all of those expectations. … It’s been really positive for the community and the university.”
Martin said the Norman City Council has continued to approve new housing additions and is working to develop more housing opportunities for Norman locals and for students, including an apartment complex with approximately 400 to 450 beds.
“There has been a project put on the table for consideration on South Classen (Boulevard), …” Martin said. “They’ve had some financing issues, so it’s been put on hold.”
Martin is hopeful this project will be taken up in the near future.
Martin said another project concept is on the table, but he is not sure where it stands in the approval process. The project is set to be west of the Mont and south of Boyd Street. It would remove the existing multifamily and replace it with an approximately six-story apartment complex.
Additionally, the Rock Creek Entertainment District Project Plan is being developed in the University North Park area, which Martin said will develop alongside new apartment complexes for the area.
The project has been approved, but it is currently on hold pending an Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling.
“We’re waiting for the (Oklahoma) Supreme Court to rule on a particular challenge that has been made, …” Martin said. “It gives that natural next step once you graduate from university … to grow into that next phase of life.”
Martin said these apartments would be geared toward young professionals, describing them as a potential great place for graduates, given its proximity to the university. The university north park area is only 5 miles, or fifteen minutes, from OU’s main campus.
On-campus housing expansions
OU is no stranger to student concerns over student housing, particularly from students seeking affordable on-campus housing. The university has responded to concerns by expanding housing opportunities for freshmen.
OU is currently focusing on building new residences for first-year students. Phase 1 of the OU First-Year Housing Master Plan includes the construction of two new residence halls, McCasland Hall and the South Building, on the site of the old Adams Center residence hall.
“Construction of McCasland Hall began in summer 2023 and opened in fall 2025,” Leah McKee, Marketing and Communications coordinator for OU Housing, wrote in an email. “Construction of the South building began in 2024 with a planned opening in fall 2026.”
After construction for the second building is done, Harroz told OU Daily editors that the university will start Phase 2 of construction, which will consist of three new housing buildings.
“It’s a really exciting challenge because you need to be up a couple percent a year in our freshman class, which is obviously by far the line share students and housing,” Harroz said. “With this growth, I’m really happy we’re building these.”
OU’s residence requirements mandate that all incoming first-year students live on campus, unless approved for exemption. To be accepted for exemption, students must be:
• married,
• have children,
• have lived in university residence halls for two semesters,
• have lived in Cleveland or McClain counties during their senior year of high school and will continue living in these counties during their first year,
• or have verifiable financial, medical, or exceptional need that cannot be otherwise adequately addressed as determined by the University Housing Review Committee.
“The fastest growth on this university’s campus in its history was (in) 1975,” Harroz said at the Jones Family Welcome Center Dedication in September. “We are now growing at a faster rate than we did in 1975.”
Other recent projects to expand freshman student housing include OU’s purchase of the Cross Village complex in 2021 and the demolition of Adams Center in the summer 2023.
When OU purchased Cross Village, it was transitioned into first-year student housing – a change that benefited freshmen, but further limited on-campus living options for upperclassmen.
Jackson, who lived in Couch during her first-year at OU, said she had a good experience with freshman housing, but encountered struggles as soon as her sophomore year started.
“(The university) chose for me my first year,” Jackson said. “My second year, I didn’t know where to live because I’m (from) out of state.”
This story was edited by Anusha Fathepure, Ana Barboza, Thomas Pablo and Natalie Armour. Tori Pham and Sophie Hemker copy edited this story.
