University Communications

And the program is still evolving. At Sproul Hall, the first-floor eatery is being remodeled as a coffeehouse, deli sandwich shop and smoothie bar. Up the hill at Rieber, two more concept restaurants - one Asian and one Latin-themed — are being created. For students who feel they can't leave their rooms for extended periods while in the midst of a heavy study session, pizza is available for order online.

The eating patterns of students are changeable, says Connie Foster, director of Dining Services, "and we want to be ahead of the curve."

Staying ahead of the curve is crucial to the housing program's success. When UCLA wired every residence-hall room for the Internet in 1996, it was the first system of its kind in the country. UCLA's is the only residence program with two auditoriums. There's top-of-the-line equipment in The Hill's computer labs. Each room has a cable-TV hookup, and a television-production studio was incorporated into the construction of DeNeve Plaza.

"Some of the things UCLA is doing are extraordinary in terms of facilities and expansion plans," says Gary Schwarzmueller, executive director of the Columbus, Ohio-based Association of College and University Housing Officers-International.

Add to that Residential Life's comprehensive program, with its academic components and the only Faculty in Residence program in the UC system, and you have a mix that attracts attention from around the nation. A lot of schools want to incorporate academics in the residential community, as UCLA has done, says Schwarzmueller. "But it's not easy to do."

Carlos Haro '69, M.A. '71, Ph.D. '76 remembers how it was when he was an undergrad living in Rieber Hall in 1965 and '66: "Everything was much more dependent on the individual students to make the right decisions, without too many outside influences, such as tutoring and mentoring."

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