For some residence halls, the change in billing will be very helpful. An increase in funding would help these halls offer more services to residents, and improve race relations through the activities sponsored by multicultural councils. House councils can help build a sense of community within the individual houses of the residence halls - enhancing the learning environment. RHA should ensure that the many small-scale programs that house councils put on - from barbecues to renting the CCRB - are provided for in their budget.
But other residence halls, such as Couzens and Alice Lloyd, will lose funding for their multicultural councils once the change in billing takes place. This should not happen, especially at a time when multicultural concerns are at the forefront of the University conscience. This clearly shows a need for individual fees to be determined on a case-by-case basis. Residence hall councils should not have to lose funding under the new system.
In addition, RHA should provide more tangible services to students. Presently, many students may be unaware of the services that the association provides. To justify the increase in the housing fee, RHA should both increase the number of services and programs offered and make them better known to students. Residents of University Housing deserve to know that the increased amount of money they are paying will be put to good use.
The increase in the University Housing fee should be used for purposes that will prove beneficial to the residents of most halls. But considering the fact that some halls will actually lose funding for their multicultural committees, the change should not be a blanket distribution of money in which funding is allotted the same way in each residence hall. Since different halls have different needs, distributing the fee money differently on a case-by-case basis would be more beneficial. And although students may now have a better idea of what their housing fees are being used for, it would still help for RHA to publicize its services to students and even to offer more benefits. These changes would help make residence hall life better for students at the University.