Wednesday, November 28, 1984
Pima Hall, the only cooperative residence hall in Arizona’s universities, is being reviewed by the Department of Residence Life, which will decide whether to continue the cooperative-living system, housing officials said last week.
The review was prompted by an inability to maintain full occupancy, said Sharon D. Campbell, associate director of Residence Life.
“”I don’t know if it’s just that students don’t have the economic need for that type of circumstance of the location is bad or they just don’t want to work,”” Campbell said.
Each of the residents of the hall, 1550 N. Vine Ave., performs one cleaning or cooking chore each day. Subsequently, no university cleaning and maintenance personnel are employed there.
Because of this work, residents pay hall fees of $300 per semester, about $150 less than what students in other halls pay, Campbell said.
Although Pima is the least-expensive housing alternative, 400 women students who interviewed for housing this year said they preferred not to live there, Campbell said.
“”The demand for Pima has fallen off very, very sharply, so that we have difficulty filling it,”” she said. The hall, which has capacity of 40, now houses 38.
“”Pima Hall is also currently operating in the red and cannot continue in a cost-effective way,”” Campbell said. “”In the original building, Pima paid for itself because the building was older. Income from rent covered expenses.””
Pima began in 1933, housed in what is now the Geology Building. The dorm was closed in 1935, when university officials determined the building was needed for academic purposed.
Residents appealed to university officials and the community, and were granted permission to rent a building on North Euclid Avenue, said Evelyn J. Kirmse, the hall’s founder.
It moved back to campus in 1938, when Kirmse worked with Pima residents and university staff to draw up floor plans for construction of a building on East Second Street for the hall. It is now called the A.L. Slonaker Building.
The hall was closed again in 1978. After residents appealed, the administration moved Pima to its present location, formerly a graduate women’s hall.
The review will provide housing officials with a comprehensive look at Pima’s low occupancy, expenses versus incomes and operational problems within the hall, Campbell said.
At the end of the year, the findings will be analyzed by Residence Life officials, who will decide whether to continue Pima as a cooperative system, she said.
Beverly K. Rench, Pima’s head resident, has been a Pima resident for three years. She agrees that the hall is having problems, but said she believes it should not be closed.
“”I don’t feel we’re getting the proper support from Residence Life. Their staff is not informed as to the benefits and don’t talk up the hall,”” Rench said. “”I think the administration should be aware of Pima. A lot of them don’t know what Pima Hall is or what the concept is.””
