Mesalands to offer student housing

Mesalands Community College will soon offer housing for students for the first time in the institution’s history at a 34-bed apartment complex that will be referred to as Stampede Village.

“We are really excited about this new student housing opportunity,” said Thomas Newsom, president of Mesalands.

Newsom said Stampede Village, located at 701 W. Route 66, will be the first time students will be offered a student housing option through the college. He said that Stampede Village is a unique student housing model that will consist of one and two-bedroom, fully furnished apartments with full kitchens.

Newsom said rental costs will range from $1,550 for a double room to $2,150 for a single room, for the fall and spring semesters. He said rent will include the cost of utilities and Internet service. The apartment complex will also be protected by a security fence and will have surveillance cameras.

Newsom said with the progress of the work being done to prepare the complex the first 12 to 15-bed units will be available in the next two weeks. He said the rest of the units should be available by the summer semester. Summer semesters will be offered at a discounted rate, Newsom added.

“This may not be an option for every student attending Mesalands,” he said.

Newsom said student residents of Stampede Village will be required to sign a housing license agreement with the college, which outlines the policies and procedures for the apartment complex.

For example, only students enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours at Mesalands Community College will be able to reside at Stampede Village. Students will also have to agree to not have pets, alcohol or drugs on the premises.

Newsom said the new apartment complex will also give Mesalands a chance to grow with the college’s unique programs. He said those programs include the wind energy courses which attract several students from outside the region.

“It has been a challenge to the students from outside the region, because we did not have a safe and affordable housing option,” Newsom said, adding that the wind energy program is going to benefit greatly from this new housing option. He said it will present added incentive to those non-resident students drawn to the program to earn their occupational certificate or degree in wind energy technology.

Newsom said the complex will also be a benefit to the students drawn to Mesalands for the paleontology program.

"These programs attract students from across the nation and the world,” Newsom said. “These students need an easy, convenient and affordable place to live while they get their certificate or degree.”

He said another benefit from the creation of the student housing is the use of the apartment complex that had been vacant and unused for several years.

In December, the Mesalands Community College Board of Trustees approved an agreement to a two-year master lease agreement between Mesalands and Tillman Enterprises, Inc. of Clovis, according to Kimberly Hanna, director of public relations.

Hanna said students will be able to use their financial aid to help cover the cost to reside at Stampede Village. She said interested students can contact the Student Affairs Office at the college for more information.