Some Salem State Students to Live at Peabody Hotel This Fall

As many as 80 Salem State University undergraduates will call the Peabody Marriott hotel home this fall.

A higher-than-anticipated number of Salem State University students arriving on campus in September prompted the move, said Jim Stoll, the university’s dean of students.

The school’s so-called “summer melt” - the phenomenon where students offered on-campus housing choose to not attend the university pr decide to seek off-campus housing - was smaller than expected this year.

“Typically we have about 15 percent of students who are offered housing for the fall who choose not to attend school or to live off campus,” Stoll said in a written statement. “This year that number was closer to 5 percent.”

The total number of students that will live at the hotel for the fall semester will be between 60 and 80. Students living at the hotel will be mostly sophomore, and a few juniors, and live two students per room. The students are all expected to move back to campus for the spring semester.

Students will make use of a shuttle to get from the hotel - on Centennial Drive in Peabody near exit 28 off Route 128 - to the Salem State campus.

“There will be resident assistants and graduate assistants, just as there would be in the residence halls,” Stoll said.

There are about 2,000 Salem State students living on campus in five residence halls right now, with a sixth residence hall, Viking Hall, under construction on Central Campus. It is scheduled to open in fall 2015 and be home to another 350 students on-campus.

“In one sense the increased demand for housing is a positive sign as it indicates students are anxious to return to the university,” Stoll said in Friday’s announcement about the move.

The first day of classes is Sept. 3.