Amid all the ruckus of move-in day, many students over the past years dealt with additional chaos when told their residence hall room was not yet ready.

Not this year.

In a change from previous years, no overflow students were reported as temporarily living in the Holmes Student Center Hotel.

“We haven’t sent anyone up, we don’t have any overflow this year,” said Toni Farruggia, a Holmes Student Center guest rooms employee.

Though NIU experienced one of the largest new freshmen enrollment rates in the university’s history, according to Robert Burk, the director of admissions, move-in day went smoothly.

“3,165 [new freshmen] is what we came in with last year and this year it’s going to be even bigger than that,” Burk said. “They planned it out, anytime they don’t need to use the hotel it’s a good thing.”

Burk accredited the successful day to planning and an eager faculty.

“It’s a big process with the faculty getting classes and housing for the freshmen; it really takes the coordination of everyone,” Burk said.

Last year, some 60 students were forced to reside in resident hall lounges and the Holmes Student Center Hotel because of housing conflicts, according to a Northern Star article published Sept. 6, 2005.

The reason behind the shift lies with transfer and returning students, said Michael Stang, director of residential facilities and operations.

“We had fewer students return to the residence halls this fall and fewer transfer students,” Stang said. NIU has no future plans to expand the residential halls, he said.