The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and four other departments recently issued the Guiding Opinions on Strengthening the Construction of University Student Dormitories, guiding universities to make up shortcomings in student dormitories through various means such as new construction, expansion and reconstruction, renovation, and prefabricated retrofitting and upgrading.

The guiding opinions specify that support will be given to universities with large dormitory area shortfalls and the conditions for new construction to build a batch of new student dormitories with reference to the Building Area Indicators for Ordinary Institutions of Higher Education. New dormitories are encouraged to be planned and built according to the standards of four-person rooms for undergraduates, two-person rooms for master's students, and single rooms for doctoral students. For existing dormitories with low construction standards, outdated facilities, and low land utilization rates, protection value should be distinguished, and in accordance with the principle of "protecting all that should be protected," relevant policies and procedures for "demolishing the old and building the new" and "demolishing the old and renovating the old" should be optimized, supporting qualified universities in rebuilding on the original sites after demolishing student dormitories. On the premise of complying with territorial spatial planning, universities are encouraged to appropriately raise building floor area ratios and improve the level of economical and intensive land use.

On the premise of ensuring safety, protecting historical and cultural heritage, and properly handling neighboring relations, universities are supported in optimizing the spatial structure of existing campuses, carrying out renewal and renovation of existing dormitories, and appropriately increasing building scale. Universities are encouraged to carry out prefabricated retrofitting and upgrading of old student dormitories, improve the efficiency of renovation and secondary upgrading, and enhance fire safety capabilities. Local governments are guided to optimize the use of idle resources and provide temporary housing for the "demolishing the old and building the new" and renovation of university student dormitories. Universities with large resource shortfalls and greater difficulty in new construction are guided to renovate and utilize on-campus buildings with accommodation functions, such as guesthouses and training centers. Universities are encouraged to supplement dormitory resources by purchasing or leasing social housing such as talent apartments and commercial-residential buildings around the campus, and to strengthen supporting service management in accordance with the same on-campus standards. Management of safety appraisal, renovation design, and construction of existing buildings shall be strengthened in strict accordance with relevant laws and regulations and mandatory engineering construction standards to ensure project quality.

The guiding opinions propose arranging diverse service scenarios, optimizing the functional setup of student dormitories, strengthening space sharing and mixed use, planning and building spaces for study, leisure, entertainment, fitness, and club activities in sync with student dormitories, and scientifically configuring fire-fighting facilities and equipment. Rich and varied cultural activities should be carried out relying on student dormitories to improve their quality and meet the diverse needs of living and education.