By the fall of 2003, a proposed freshmen housing policy seeks to require freshmen students whose home is outside commuting distance of Northern Kentucky University to live on campus.

With this policy, the administration hopes to boost retention, said President James Votruba. Votruba asserted that students who live on campus have a greater chance of staying at NKU than those who don’t.

“They are more likely to stay if they are on campus because they will connect easier with students and organizations,” Votruba said. “Off-campus students are more isolated.”

The policy, however, won’t affect most freshmen, said Kent Kelso, dean of students. The proposal contains criteria a student must meet to be required to live on campus. According to a draft of the housing policy, a student will be exempted from the policy if he or she: