The University Court complex has been owned by Eastern Illinois University since the year 1989.

The apartment complex was originally known as Regency Apartments before being sold to Eastern for over $3.8 million according to Eastern’s archive service, The Keep.

Eastern’s plan to buy the apartments was approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the university’s purchase was approved by the Board of Governors of State Colleges and Universities. The expenses to buy the apartments were taken care of by the sale of revenue bonds, according to records in The Keep.

The university’s reason for buying the apartment complex was due to not having enough residence hall space to fit all of their students in. Another reason was to add another style of housing for people to choose from.

Eastern’s housing options were primarily suited for married students and temporary faculty members, with the addition of other students who requested for single housing.

U Court has a total of 10 apartment buildings: Bloomfield, Cooper, Elliot, Gabbard, Giffin, Hampton, Lancaster, Ringenberg, Saunders, and Yorkshire. Altogether, there is a total of 146 apartments that can house around 570 students according to Eastern’s housing website.

Six of them were named after former Eastern faculty members that had made a true impact during their time working at the university.

Cooper Hall is named after George Cooper who was an instructor and later a chairman of the business education and administration.

Elliot Hall is named after Charles Elliot who was a faculty member who worked for Eastern’s school of technology.

Gabbard Hall is named after E. Glendon Gabbard and his wife Luciana Gabbard. E. Glendon taught theatre arts while Luciana was an instructor in the English department.

Giffin Hall was named after James Giffin who was the first dean of Eastern’s college of business.

Saunders was named after James Saunders who taught in the journalism department and was the advisor for Minority Today, a publication that ran in The Daily Eastern News.

Ringenberg Hall was named after Lawrence Ringenberg who was the first dean of Eastern’s arts and sciences department.

Today, U Court is available to students who are over 21 years old or who have completed at least 30 credit hours.

The apartments serve as an alternative to residence halls and off-campus apartments by taking qualities from each.

Students who live in U Court pay the university for their housing but must pay for a dining plan separately if they want one.

They also pay for their own electricity bill, as well as the water bill if they pass a certain limit.

The apartments can house up to four people each. They have two bedrooms, a bathroom, a living room area and a small kitchen.

This way, students can have the experience of living in an apartment while still being very close to academic buildings and the rest of campus.

At the same time, they still have to sign a contract and pay for certain utilities; U Court serves as both a transitional stage between living styles, and a learning experience to handle more responsibility without taking a high risk.

For more information about University Court visit the Eastern Housing website or call 217-581-5111.

Brysen Carr can be reached at 581-2812 or bdcarr2@eiu.edu.