Safety is first priority as Texas Tech students return to student housing

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Slow and steady, that's how students are moving back into student housing on the campus of Texas Tech.

Saturday was the first of several move-in days for university housing that has opened up a week early.

The process would normally have as many as 5,000 students moving in over just two days, but this year, about 7,600 students will move into 19 residence halls over two and a half weeks.

While those halls are usually at capacity and beyond, officials say leaving empty spots in those halls is part of distancing students.

Sean Duggan is managing director for University Student Housing.

“We’re going to be at 93 percent capacity as opposed to 100 percent plus capacity over the last few years,” Duggan said. “That really is by design. We have way more demand for housing than we are willing to offer. We probably pushed 750 students to off campus properties based on wanting to have less density on campus and the safety of students. That’s revenue for the university but the safety really is a higher priority right now.”