University of Kentucky Student Life

The University of Kentucky offers numerous dining options, residence halls, and athletic facilities. It is also home to more than 250 student-run organizations.

There are 16 sororities and 25 fraternities that serve the University of Kentucky in Lexington.

ororities

There are also two convenience stores, located at Blazer Hall and at the Commons Market.

The meal plans for on-campus students no longer utilize a declining-balance system, similar to a debit card. In 2005, a new "all you can eat" plan was initiated to the disfavor of 84.9% of the student body [Rose, Sean. "Despite vote, meal plan unchanged." Kentucky Kernel [Lexington] 24 Aug. 2006, sec. Campus news. 5 Sept. 2006 [http://www.kykernel.com/media/storage/paper305/news/2006/08/24/CampusNews/Despite.Vote.Meal.Plan.Unchanged-2238411.shtml?norewrite200609051550&sourcedomain=www.kykernel.com] . ] . The cheapest meal plan for on-campus students is $949 per semester, extending upward to $2,013 per semester. These plans also include $100 in "flex dollars" which can be used at the convenience stores and any dining establishment, with the exception of Starbucks.

Students can also use their Plus Account to eat at a few select off-campus restaurants, such as McDonald's or Fazoli's.

Organizations

The university has over [http://www.uky.edu/StudentActivities/StudentOrgs/directory.php 250 organizations] designated by:

* Honor,Leadership and Recognition Society
* Governmental
* Political
* Professional and Departmental
* Social Fraternity
* Social Sorority
* Speciality International
* Speciality Religious
* Speciality Greek
* Speciality Sports
* Speciality Medical
* Speciality Media
* Speciality Campus

Recreation

The university provides several facilities for unwinding from the daily campus grind. The Johnson Center, a 12,000 square-foot two-story structure located at South Campus, features basketball, volleyball, badminton, racketball, and wallyball courts, along with weight-lifting facilities, and rock climbing walls. It is also the home for some group fitness classes utilizing a large aerobics studio.

The Lancaster Aquatic Center, located next to the Johnson Center, opened in 1989 and features 10 lanes for lap swimming and has shallow space for other water activities.

The Seaton Center features facilities for basketball, volleyball, badminton, jogging, squash, table tennis, and racquetball.

Residence halls

The completion of New North Hall, Smith Hall, Baldwin Hall, and Ingels Hall mark the first time dorms were constructed since the 1970s, when the Kirwan-Blanding complex was completed.

Campus safety

The university has suffered from a perception that the campus is unsafe. In a survey of 1000 female university students, conducted in spring 2004, 36.5% reported having been victims of rape, stalking, or physical assault while at the campus.cite web|url=http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/WomensPlace/safetyImperative.html|title=Women's Place Safety Imperative|year=2006|publisher=University of Kentucky|accessdate=2007-02-06] cite web|url=http://www.rgs.uky.edu/crvaw/Women%27s%20Safety%20Study%20Press%20Release.htm|title=UK President Announces Initiatives to Improve Women’s Safety|year=2004|publisher=University of Kentucky|accessdate=2007-02-06] Campus law enforcement statistics do not bear out these numbers, however,cite web|url=http://www.uky.edu/Police/CleryMinger.pdf|title=University of Kentucky Campus Safety and Security Report 2006|year=2006|publisher=University of Kentucky|accessdate=2007-02-06] and it can be assumed either that many serious crimes go unreported or that the survey conclusions were erroneous.

In response to the survey, University President Lee T. Todd, Jr. launched an initiative in September 2005 titled the "Campus Safety Imperative", which included a quadrupling of annual expenditures on safety.cite web|url=http://www.rgs.uky.edu/crvaw/safetyimperativepressrelease.htm|title=$1.25 Million Committed to Improving Campus Safety|year=2005|publisher=University of Kentucky|accessdate=2007-02-06] Todd specifically linked campus safety to the goal of becoming a "top 20" public research institution, stating that "We will never make gains toward becoming a top-20 public research institution if our students are unsafe or if they lack a sense of physical security. It is part of our fundamental mission, then, to create a campus that provides a safe place to live, to work, and to learn."

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