Matt Hampel | matth.org

College students are connected, diverse, and social. We have friends across the world, and they enjoy visiting us. In the dorms, though, their options are limited: all access is controlled by swipe cards and key codes. Rooms, especially single-occupancy rooms, are small. Cafeteria meals are expensive.

So, create a communal space where several travelers and their hosts can stay for a sensible amount of time. Offer beds, tables, chairs, and warmth. Encourage the socialization, not isolation.

Lend the guests restricted access cards, so they can use the bathrooms or enter the building. Provide reduced-cost meals for visiting and prospective students — more than the deficient three per semester currently offered in the standard meal plan. Create a set of reasonable guest rules, and enforce them well.

See also: Why upperclassmen do not return to the dorms (21 Dec. 2007)