By Gavin Guffey, Campus News Editor and Reshelle Bihasa, Staff Writer 

Last week Xavier finalized a deal to take control of University Station (UStation) apartments starting in the 2027-28 school year to expand its housing options.

“A signature experience is being designed for third-year students living at University Station or commuting. The goal is to increase out-of-the classroom knowledge to prepare students for life after Xavier,” Dean of Students Lori Lambert and Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Kimberly Moore said.

UStation has been a trademark for upperclassman students at Xavier, with many students choosing to live there in their third and fourth years.

“I plan to live there next year, I love the kitchen and I don’t want to move out my things for the next year,” junior biochemistry major and UStation resident Emery Blank said.

Similar to other on-campus living options at Xavier, UStation comes fully furnished for residents.

“I love having my own bathroom and how the apartment is already furnished. The people are also very friendly as well,” junior Philosophy, Politics, and the Public major and UStation resident Emma Berwin said.

While many residents enjoy living at UStation, some have reported issues with maintenance. 

“The maintenance for my counter was really bad because they told me they would have it fixed before I moved in, but it was not done when I got there. They took over two weeks to get it fixed,” junior international studies and Spanish double major and UStation resident Devyn Wallace said. 

Wallace encountered other additional maintenance issues that were resolved. 

“I’ve also had other maintenance issues including my overhead light flickering, but they were able to fix it more quickly. Our fridge was not working, and we had to get that replaced,” Wallace said. 

“One of my only complaints is that I wish they had better cleaning before moving in. The floor was very gross, and we had to clean before,” junior biochemistry major Emma Blank said. 

It is unclear how the affordability of UStation will be affected by the school taking over. 

“Pricing has not yet been set, as the University does not take over management until next year.  We understand how price sensitive the market is, and we remain committed to being thoughtful and in line with market rates,” Lambert and Moore said. 

The university is also unsure of a meal-plan requirement yet and is still in discussion over the possibility of it. 

Xavier does not plan on adding Resident Assistants as they have in the rest of on-campus housing. 

“Rather than Resident Assistants, the community will be supported by Community Assistants (CAs), reflecting a more independent living approach for a third-year student population who have generally already built connections and understand the expectations of living successfully in a shared community,” Lambert and Moore said. 

As the university takes over in the future, it plans to implement ideas rooted in Xavier’s values. 

“Many third-year students already live at University Station, going forward they will now have a Xavier-specific designed experience that enhances and elevates what students have come to expect from living at University Station,” Lambert and Moore said.