By Dec. 14, about 85 students in the 200 wings of Coronado Hall will be relocated for the entirety of the spring 2025 semester due to construction to update the bathrooms on each floor to a pod-style layout, according to an email from University of New Mexico Resident Life and Student Housing.
Once the construction project’s timeline was confirmed, RLSH provided Coronado Hall residents who had to relocate “as much advance notice as possible,” according to Megan Chibanga, director of Resident Life and Student Housing at UNM.
“Residents were notified on October 30th, giving them more than six weeks to plan for the December 14 move-out deadline,” Chibanga wrote to the Daily Lobo.
Bathroom renovations in Coronado Hall have been underway since last year, and the renovation for the 200 wings has been in the planning stages since early this year as part of an ongoing effort to enhance campus housing facilities, according to Chibanga.
“By completing these restrooms during the spring semester, RLSH is able to complete additional projects over summer 2025 to enhance the residential experience on campus,” Chibanga wrote.
UNM's housing team identified alternative accommodations across campus to ensure sufficient space for all impacted students, according to Chibanga, who added that any questions students may have about specific rates can be sent directly to RLSH.
The room rates will depend on the specific type of housing assignment.
Abigail Olsen, a freshman, said they were concerned about how the move-out would interfere with their winter finals.
“This event has affected my schedule for finals,” Olsen wrote to the Daily Lobo. “We must pack and move out during finals, and it is going to be hard to study while packing my entire room.”
RLSH will try to maintain roommate preferences, according to Chibanga, but it cannot guarantee all requests.
Laura Mulvaney, a freshman, said she wished residents had been told about the construction and move-out sooner.
“I live in a single dorm with my dog,” Mulvaney said. “However, I was assigned a single dorm purely out of luck, not by accommodation, so I’m really stressed because it looks like I won’t get another single dorm. I’m worried there won’t be enough space for me, another person, my dog and our stuff.”
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Resident advisors serving the 200 wings of Coronado Hall will not lose their jobs due to the relocation, according to Chibanga.
“There are a few RAs who will be affected by the relocation,” Chibanga wrote. “However, RLSH is committed to retaining any of the impacted staff in an RA capacity. RAs were informed about the relocation plan on October 29, 2024, ahead of the resident notifications, to ensure they were prepared to support students through the transition.”
Construction will begin on Dec. 16 and is scheduled to be completed by mid-March 2025, according to Chibanga.
Maria Fernandez is a beat reporter and photographer for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
Elizabeth Secor is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on X @esecor2003
Elizabeth Secor is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted on Twitter @esecor2003
