The residence hall that students sometimes call the “Virgin Vault” is being unlocked beginning in the fall of 1999. 

Eggers Residence Hall, one of four all-female halls on campus, is being converted to a co-ed residence hall as a result of the recent higher percentage of males attending Appalachian State, said Director of Housing Brad Reid. 

The current plan, that has been approved by Vice Chancellor of Student Development Dr. Gregory Blimling, is to alternate male and female floors. 

The floors will alternate by two.  The second, third, sixth and seventh floors of Eggers will be inhabited by males, Reid said.  The rest of the floors will remain female. 

According to Reid, the students who cannot live on the male floors will be considered displaced, which means they will not be able to reclaim their current rooms on Feb. 15 and 16. 

Those students should come to the John E. Thomas Building between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to pick another room on the available floors in Eggers. 

Reid said that he feels confident that there will be enough rooms to handle those students. 

Floors that were converted to handle male occupants in Bowie and Gardner residence halls will be converted back to house female students, Reid said. 

“Bowie is already heavy on the male side, so we are going to incorporate more females,” Reid said. 

The staff in Eggers has requested a conversion to a co-ed residence hall for several years, Reid said. 

According to the housing requests that come to the university from incoming students, most requests are for  co-ed housing. 

  This year, “More than 200 students indicated preference for co-ed housing and couldn’t get it,” Reid said.  There was a need, but not adequate facilities. 

There was speculation about converting Justice Hall into a co-ed hall for this year, said Reid.  It was not possible, however, because of water leaks and structural water damage. 

Currently, Justice is being worked on, and will not be available for conversion until fall of 2000. It will remain in the discussion phase. 

A decision will not be finalized until the percentage of incoming males is taken into account by housing. 

The Campus Resident Student Association and the staff of Eggers were in agreement with the conversion of Eggers.