Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

New Housing Rules Require More Reform

This year, significant changes have been made to the housing selection process. While GUSA commends the housing services’ attention to this matter, we offer the following suggestions to this process.

The following is GUSA’s proposed changes to the housing selection process, drafted by Jenny Bridgers (SFS ’07), a member of the GUSA Housing and Facilities Committee.

First, we commend housing services’ decision to move the housing eligibility date to Oct. 12-18. After evaluating last year’s situation, the housing office has quickly responded to students’ demand by allocating more time for ineligible students to shop for off-campus accommodations.

However, we urge the housing office to consider these additional improvements. We propose:

 Eligibility to be held earlier in the year, as it is scheduled now.

 Limited period to accept or decline eligibility. If a student is determined eligible, that student would have until Nov. 30 (or some finite date) to declare if he or she will take on-campus housing. This would allow students who are not pulled up from the waitlist enough time to locate off campus housing.

 Housing selection be held during the spring semester. This way, eligible students are given time to decide who they want to live with for the upcoming year.

 Rising seniors be given priority in the selection process. We do not agree with the current housing eligibility ranking point system for the 2005-06 academic year, which gives equal priority to members of the class of 2006 who lived off campus during the fall semester and to all rising juniors. Many members of the class of 2006 moved off campus for the current year precisely because they believed it would improve their housing selection for senior year.

Considering the residential history of the class of 2006, it seems that they have borne the brunt of the negative transition effects resulting from university housing’s attempt to reach a balance with its on-campus capacity.

An active attempt must be made to rectify this inequity by giving this group preferential status.

Rising seniors who currently live off campus should be given priority to select housing before the eligible members of the class of 2007 and the members of the class of 2006 who lived on campus during their junior year. These seniors would be given the chance to select earlier than the other groups.

As a result, seniors will be guaranteed the “untouchable” status they expected when they were told they would have four years of on-campus housing. We leave the mathematical logistics of the system to the discretion of the university housing office.

We feel strongly that a rising senior who lives off campus for junior year should get first pick on the most desirable apartments and townhouses.

Beyond issues of fairness, bringing seniors back on campus is vital to reuniting the class after being scattered during their junior year abroad.

We should promote a living arrangement that will foster unity for the campus as a whole, as seniors are frequently the core leaders of student organizations. We believe that graduating students should leave with positive memories, feeling connected to the Georgetown community.

Eligible juniors should be given housing selection priority over sophomores. Juniors should have a better chance of living in an apartment or townhouse than sophomores.

The GUSA Housing and Facilities Committee, in conjunction with the Sophomore and Junior Class Committees, will be hosting two information meetings next Tuesday and Wednesday at 8 p.m. in ICC 101.

Representatives from the university housing office will be present to discuss current changes to the housing selection process and to answer questions.

We ask you to take this opportunity to voice your opinions, and effect positive changes in your housing selection process.

Kelley Hampton is a senior in the College and president of the Georgetown University Student Association.

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