UD to Discontinue AVIATE Program
Terrance White | Managing Editor
AVIATE, the student engagement initiative that has influenced housing assignments for more than a decade, is ending this spring as the university pivots to a process administration officials said will give students more control in choosing housing options.
AVIATE —A Vision for Integrated, Applied and Transformative Education— has been in place since 2014. Through this program, students could earn PATH points by attending educational and community events. These points translated into priority during the spring housing selection process, giving highly involved students an advantage in choosing preferred residences.
“We made a decision to move the housing assignments process to the fall semester so that junior and senior students could secure housing earlier,” Christina Smith, assistant vice president for student development and executive director of housing and residence life, told Flyer News this month.“This change in timeline… directly limited the ability for AVIATE, as it was designed, to be used,.” she said.
Instead of continuing a complex system that no longer fits the university’s evolving timeline, Housing and Residence Life is pivoting toward a new, simplified process that emphasizes student choice and accessibility. The university announced the change in housing programs on April 10.
AVIATE is not being eliminated because it failed or fell out of favor, Smith said.. In fact, many students said they appreciated the program’s structure.
“Some like the ways in which earning PATH credits gives them more agency in ‘earning’ the housing assignment they want,” Smith said, also acknowledging that “other students do not participate in AVIATE and may choose to live in non-University housing.”
Importantly, the decision wasn’t financial. “AVIATE does not maintain a separate budget line to operate,” Smith confirmed. “The decision to discontinue [it] was not based on a financial inability to operate the program.”
Rather, UD’s move reflects a broader institutional pivot—one focused on streamlining internal systems, responding to student feedback, and anticipating the future.
“When AVIATE was first introduced, UD’s class sizes were larger than the housing inventory that was available,” said Casey Gill, vice president for student development and chief student experience officer. “With the strategic direction toward smaller class sizes, the decision to realign the housing assignments process provides the opportunity for students to secure housing earlier, which is feedback we have received.”
UD right now is in the early stages of designing its next housing process, which will debut this fall.. The housing application for the 2026-27 academic year will open on September 8. Students will form groups, receive a selection time, and self-select from available housing options—much like registering for classes.
The exact formula for how those times are assigned is still being developed. UD is actively seeking student input through a survey, as well as feedback sessions and a group of beta testers who will help trial the new system this summer.
Stakeholders involved in the redesign include staff from Residential Properties, Learning Resources, UDit, Student Government Association, and the Residential Housing Association—along with a core group of students.
“We’re committed to creating a simpler system that aligns with best practices and acknowledges the evolving student culture,” Smith said. “That includes giving students a more direct role in choosing their housing assignments.”
Though it’s being retired, AVIATE leaves behind a significant legacy at UD. For years, it motivated student involvement, incentivized learning outside the classroom, and connected co-curricular activities to residential life.
“The decision to discontinue this nationally recognized program was not made lightly,” Smith said. “We want to extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed to its success.”
As the university prepares to roll out a new housing system, students are encouraged to share their ideas and get involved in shaping what comes next. One era is ending—but another is just beginning.