Students will see various changes in La Maison du Bayou this semester since it has been taken over by the University. In the past, La Maison du Bayou has been run by Collegiate Management Services and not by Residence Life. However, this changed in August.

Before the change, Collegiate Management Services fixed the flooding problems in two of the apartments, Michael Davis, assistant vice president of administration, said.

The first major change will be the renovation of all of the apartments. The University will fix four apartments at a time, Eugene Dial, vice president of student affairs and enrollment services said. Then students will move back in and four more apartments will be renovated.

“They (the students) will come back to see a makeover so to speak,” Dial said. Students will move out of the first four apartments on Saturday and those four apartments will be renovated next week.

Laminate and tile flooring will be placed in the bedrooms and ceramic tile will be put down in the kitchens and bathrooms. The University will also be painting, making electrical repairs and making plumbing repairs as needed.

“We budgeted roughly $675,000 to bring La Maison back up to the level we feel it needs to be at,” Davis said. Another approximately $121,000 will go to new appliances and furniture.

The University will be installing a new saltwater filtration systemfor the La Maison pool.

“Like we (La Maison residents) don’t pay enough rent already,” Syivia Latham, education senior from Thibodaux, said.

Freshmen now have the opportunity to reside at La Maison. Before the transition, only upperclassmen could live there.

Guests who spend the night must register with housing officials.

“You can have the same guest but they can’t stay over more than ten nights a semester,” Dial said.

One thing not affected by the change in management is the cost of living in La Maison. In January 2007, Collegiate Management Services raised the rent before the University took over the apartments.