How is Texas State University Adapting to the Influx of Students

Texas State University has been experiencing record-breaking growth over the past few years, with the largest freshman classes in its history and a steady increase in overall student enrollment. As Jayme Blaschke reported for the Texas State Newsroom, “Texas State enrollment surges nearly 10%, tops 44,000 for the first time.”

While this growth is clearly a sign of success, it also brings several challenges, not just for the university, but for the town it calls home. Each incoming freshman class is larger than the last. In 2024, the university newsroom reported, “First-year students set a record enrollment for the fourth consecutive year.” This year marks the fifth year in a row that the size of the freshman class has increased, with over a thousand more students than the previous year. As more students arrive, issues have started to arise, especially in housing. Where will all these students live? Where will they eat? Will there be enough buses to get them to class? Where will they park? And how will the university keep them engaged once they get here? The town of San Marcos also faces its own set of challenges as it works to support a larger population than usual.

When incoming freshmen arrive on campus, there are a few requirements they must meet. One of the main requirements at Texas State is that all incoming freshmen must live in on-campus dorms, unless they qualify for an exemption. According to the Texas State Housing website, students who live “within 50 miles (driving distance) of Texas State University” may live at home instead. Other exemptions include being married or having a documented disability or medical condition. According to The University Star, “The freshman class increased by 15%, hitting nearly 9,400 students,” as of September 1st. Requiring all of these students to live on campus creates a challenge for the university to find enough beds. At the start of the 2024–2025 academic year, The University Star also reported that “Texas State has 22 on-campus dorm locations and three off-campus apartment-style locations. In total, there are 6,933 beds on Texas State’s main campus.” Since then, Castro Hall has been added, offering 942 more beds, but even with that addition, there are still not enough. To meet the growing demand, the university is planning to add two new dorms. But with enrollment increasing so quickly, by the time these dorms are built, will it be enough? In a recent interview, Dr. Kate Gannon-Cullinan, Executive Director for Housing and Residential Life, was asked how they are planning for the growing freshman class. She said they are responding by adding two new dorm buildings, including Hilltop 2, which is expected to open in about 17 months. She also mentioned that they are looking at current spaces that can be turned into “flex spaces” for students—temporary housing options that weren’t originally meant for living. Dr Gannon-Cullinan also talked about how they try to help students feel good about living in these spaces through public relations efforts. She explained that when a room isn’t what students expect, like in Blanco Hall, which was originally made for three people per room but had some rooms converted into doubles and then switched back to triples due to the influx of students, they try to frame it positively. She said the same thing applies when students are placed with their RAs for more living spaces. While she doesn’t prefer that option because she believes students should live with their peers, sometimes it’s necessary. In those cases, Housing works hard to help students see the positives. Lexi Long, the Assistant Director for Housing Assignments, also shared how the housing placement process works. “The placement opens almost a year before the students come to college,” Long said. This is done so the university is prepared when students arrive. The process is long but important, as it determines where students will live during their first year of college. Housing works closely with admissions to make sure they don’t admit more students than they can accommodate. However, even when housing fills up, the university still must find space for students. When there isn’t enough room on campus, they partner with nearby hotels to house students. Some might say this takes away from the college experience, but Housing has thought about that, too. Their goal is to make it feel comfortable and still provide that campus atmosphere. Even though the students are living off-campus, they are still assigned an RA to help guide them through college life.

Not only does the increase in students create problems with finding housing, but it also raises concerns about how to feed everyone. Another requirement for students living on campus is that they must also sign up and pay for a dining plan. As stated on the Texas State Dining Services page “If you live on campus in a residence hall (other than Balcones, Bobcat Village, or Cypress), you are required to have a Resident Dining Plan.” Feeding this many students puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the dining staff. Their responsibilities go beyond just cooking, they also must clean the dishes and silverware, maintain cleanliness in the dining halls, and ensure that the environment is sanitary for students to feel safe while eating. During a recent visit, there were noticeable issues, dirty dishes were stacked up waiting to be cleaned, with no staff in sight to handle them. The food stations had clearly been picked over, and there wasn’t enough food available to meet students’ needs. Interestingly, there was food sitting in the back, ready to be served, but no workers were present to bring it out to serve it to students.

Another challenge is transportation. Campus buses aren’t only for students living on campus, they also serve off-campus students. As enrollment increases, more students rely on the shuttle system to get to class. According to The University Star, “students experience issues from delays to overcrowding on Bobcat Shuttle services.” Simply put, there are too many students for the current system to handle. Later on in the article it stated that the shuttle service is being updated to try to better serve the student body.

If students choose not to ride the shuttle, they often drive to campus. But that leads to another issue: parking. Many students struggle to find a place to park, especially near their classes. This can lead to students being late or even missing class. Parking permits, which can cost up to $550, stated on the Texas State parking website, don’t guarantee a close spot. And it’s not just students, faculty and staff also need permits, which adds to the competition. Although the university only sells as many permits as there are spaces, those spaces aren’t always convenient for the driver.

Programming for students has also become more difficult due to limited funding and the growing number of residents. RDs and RAs are expected to support students both academically and personally, but with more students, that becomes harder. Alejandro Chavez, the Residential Director for Alamito Hall, said that programming is having to be “reimagined” because of budget limitations and the high number of students. Students being placed in flex spaces or moved around affects their sense of belonging. Alamito Hall hosts two Living Learning Communities (LLCs), but some students who are part of these communities can’t live in the hall because it’s at full capacity. When students can’t live with their community, they may feel left out. Alejandro says they try their best to help students stay connected by inviting them to events and keeping in touch. Flex spaces, such as former study rooms or converted lounges, may not feel as comfortable or homey as students were promised. Some even have windows that open into common areas, making students feel like they’re losing privacy in what’s supposed to be their safe space. Alejandro also pointed out something people often forget, the impact on staff. RAs are having a hard time, not just physically, but mentally. With so many students and limited resources, it can feel like they aren’t doing enough. When attendance at events drops, Alejandro reminds his staff that “they are doing their best and to keep trying,” so they stay motivated and positive. Bella Ricke, the Student Staffing Coordinator for Residential Life, explained that the number of students an RA is responsible for depends on how many beds there are in a building. So, when the student population increases, more Ras will be hired to keep up.

The challenges extend beyond the university. San Marcos is also growing, not just because of Texas State, but also as a city. With students living in San Marcos for most of the year August- May, the town must be ready to accommodate them, especially downtown. Texas State is located right next to The Square, a popular area with restaurants and shops. Because of how close it is, it’s usually the first-place students go for food, shopping, or entertainment. This makes it a central hub for student activity, which increases foot traffic and puts more demand on local businesses and services.