NIU officials have notified residents on Gilbert Hall’s third floor that they will have to find alternative housing next semester as a result of what they say are “statewide economic circumstances outside of the university’s control.”

In a memo distributed March 7 to residents of Gilbert Hall, Donald Buckner, Student Housing Services director, stated NIU’s decision to downsize next year’s freshman enrollment by 500 students has resulted in a “sizable amount” of vacanicies in NIU’s residence halls.

“The residence halls house about 95 to 96 percent of those incoming freshmen,” Buckner said. “It was logical to close one of Gilbert’s floors, because it’s the most expensive dorm to operate.”

In addition to the closure of Gilbert Hall’s third floor, 40 single rooms will be offered at each residence hall next year, Buckner said. No single rooms will be offered in Gilbert, he said.

Gilbert’s financially troubled food service has decided to offer meals at the hall only on weekdays, a decision which will force residents there to eat weekend meals at other residence halls, Buckner’s memo stated.

Robert Frederickson, University Food Services director, said the food service at Gilbert lost about $40,000 last year because of high operation costs. He added Gilbert has run at a deficit “for some time.

“Being a smaller hall, it just isn’t as economical per student to operate,” Frederickson said. “Halls that small have been discouraged for some time in regards to college feeding.”

But Frederickson said closing Gilbert’s food service on weekends would help reduce next year’s deficit, partly because only about 80 of the 220 residents make use of their weekend meals.

“We’ll be in better shape next year,” he said. “We don’t expect a profit, but the figure will be cut down some.”

Buckner said, “The large expense to run Gilbert Hall relates to its food service. The expenses involved with serving 300 students are much higher than those involved with serving 1,000 students.

“We hope (the residents) will understand the situation,” he said. “This is just part of an effort to keep everyone’s (housing) rates down.”

But residents on Gilbert Hall’s third floor are expressing frustrations with the plan, which one resident said is “making students angry.

“I’ve been (in Gilbert) for three years,” third floor resident Kaye Zude said. “It’s going to be an inconvenience to get over to Neptune on the weekends for a meal that is only served for an hour.”

Third floor resident Rose Campos said she has “nowhere to go.

“I’m upset because of the short notice they gave us,” Campos said.

Gilbert’s third floor residents will be able to sign up for other rooms in Gilbert or sign up early to move into any residence hall, Buckner’s memo stated.

Gilbert’s residents will receive housing bills that are $100 less per year than residents in the towers, since weekend meals will not be offered, Buckner said.