Empty space

Housing will accommodate all students next year

This year, many University students who planned to live in campus residence halls did not get their wish. Because of overcrowding, upperclassmen were barred from living in the dorms by University Housing. Thankfully, in 1999, this policy will no longer be around.

With fewer underclassmen inhabiting the residence halls this year - and nearly 200 vacant spaces - Housing has once again opened up to all undergraduates. This was made possible by a smaller first-year class and a lower return rate - providing a great service for upperclassmen who prefer the advantages of University residence halls. Juniors and seniors should not be barred from the benefits of University-owned housing if it can be helped. Knowing this, when University Housing officials found many open spaces in the residence halls, they immediately took the opportunity to make life a little easier on upperclass students. This attention to the needs of all University students and quickness of action is commendable on the part of University Housing.

But the overcrowding last year, the most severe in several years, should not be so quickly forgotten. Hundreds of undergraduate students found themselves in overflow triples or without a room at all. These problems that sparked the original policy could very well return in full force if University Housing officials are not careful with handling the addition of new students and returning upperclass students in the same term.

Because it's impossible to know exactly how many juniors and seniors will want to go back to community bathrooms and dorm food, University Housing should prepare for the worst. Their current plan is to place any extra students in overflow triples with the intent of moving them into more conventional housing when a spot opens up. This has also been the policy in the past. But before every new student finds themselves sharing a 10-by-10 foot living space with two other people, Housing should keep at least some restrictions on who may take advantage of the dorm spaces.

While they should not hold a monopoly on University residence hall rooms, underclassmen should still get priority. Dorm life is too important for these students in their home-to-college transition and the lifestyle it presents is best fitted to first-year and sophomores. If, in fact, the overcrowding problem returns, Housing officials should make these students their first concern. Aside from underclassmen, those upperclassmen who have the greatest need for residence hall life, such as transfer students, should also be considered a priority for Housing officials.

Granted, living in a residence hall has many perks. From clean community areas to meal plans, libraries and computing sites, these benefits should be available to all University students. In many respects, University Housing is on the right track. It has a firm grasp on the needs of students and are willing to alter their policies as those needs change. The reopening of residence hall space to upperclass students as well as organizing an online guide to the rooms and providing space for incoming students are daunting tasks. While it's great that upperclassmen may return to the residence halls, Housing officials must do everything they can to ensure previous years' overcrowding remains a thing of the past.

11-24-98