Housing first announced its policy that upperclassmen would be unable to live in traditional residence halls last fall amid a great deal of controversy. As part of the reasoning for the change, officials cited numerous problems accommodating first-year students due to incoming classes' sizes. The University guaranteed housing for all upperclassmen in non-traditional halls such as Fletcher and Baits. At the time, the decision pleased no one, but it appeared to be the only possible solution to a difficult problem.
In the wake of the announcement, some upperclassmen felt a great deal of uncertainty about their future living arrangements. In addition, many upperclassmen questioned why the University would seemingly make a value judgment between segments of its student population. The policy made many students feel unwelcome in University-owned housing and pushed them to seek accommodations elsewhere.
The blundered estimation may prove expensive for some students. Upon hearing about the new policy, many students rushed to sign leases with private landlords in Ann Arbor, ensuring that they would have a place to live next year. Renting an apartment or house, in Ann Arbor's bloated market, can be expensive, especially late in the academic year. The cost can also extend beyond the purely financial as these students will lose easy access to the resources available in traditional residence halls, including libraries, fast Internet connections and cafeterias.
These students faced a tough choice: They could either scramble to get the best available apartment or house or take their chances with the University's new policy. Another problem complicating the issue is the lack of available housing in Ann Arbor through private landlords. Waiting until spring to see the results of the housing crisis would have greatly reduced the number of available privately owned properties - the best housing quickly disappears from the market as students who look early get the best deals. Inaccurate estimation is a dangerous risk to take - if the University lacked the extra spaces that it has now, students would have to pick from among the Ann Arbor-area leftovers.
University Housing continues to demonstrate an inability to produce accurate forecasts of student housing needs and availability. Such estimates are crucial to students' well-being at the University - students cannot properly learn in an uncomfortable living arrangement, nor can they optimally function when their futures are up in the air.
Class sizes increased at the University over the past several years, culminating in last fall's housing crunch. Housing should recognize that its current system no longer works as well as it once did and should adapt it so that future classes can avoid the housing crunch. A person's living quarters are very important to his or her academic performance, and it is time for University housing to revamp its operations to better serve students and the University as a whole.