Housing deals with crowded halls
Campus Times
September 18, 1998
Overcrowded campus housing forced some students to live in study rooms
with two other people. Freshman diversified major Maria Cruz, who lives
in a triple in Brandt Hall, says her living arrangement does not bother
her and it gives her the chance to, "...get to know other people."
This year, 397 students will be housed in on-campus residence halls.
The University of La Verne, like several local and state institutions,
was presented with an exceptionally large fall class with 440 new students.
The increase in the student population affects the financial, social
and physical characteristics of ULV. Housing in particular has been hit
hard with unexpected students that required on-campus housing.
Kyle Young, a sophomore and returning Brandt Hall resident, was one
of the students directly affected.
"I originally signed up for Brandt 108. When I came to check in
they told me that I was in room 224," he said. "When I asked about
my original room they said that the first floor was now for girls and that
I had no say in the matter. No one bothered to call me prior to my move
in day."
"If this happens again next year I will get an apartment even if
I can't afford one," Young added.
Currently 397 students are housed in the three housing complexes on
campus. The Oaks has 160 occupants. Brandt Hall houses 105 students, while
Stu-Han houses 132 students.
Julie Thurman-Francisco, director of housing and residential life, estimated
that last year's on-campus population was 350 students.
On whether housing was ready for the increase of students wishing to
live on campus, Thurman-Francisco said, "We did not realize that on-campus
housing was going to be full until the end of July."
In order to make room in the residence complexes, the former first floor
study room in Brandt Hall was converted into a triple suite.
Maria Cruz, an 18-year-old freshman, is one of the residents of the
converted study that is now referred to as Brandt 111.
Cruz said she was not informed of the assignment to a triple suite prior
to check in.
"I originally signed up to live in Stu-Han. They just sent me a
flyer that said that I would be living in Brandt due to the lack of space
in Stu-Han."
Although Cruz said she was not pre-notified of the fact that she would
have two roommates, she sees it as a positive.
"People are friendly, and by having two roommates I have had the
opportunity to meet a lot of people. I have been happy. But they need to
tell people that they are going to live in a triple after they have told
them that they would be living in a double."
The Housing office says that students were either moved from their reserved
room to another and those who were placed in triple suites and those with
special circumstances were all notified of their housing assignment prior
to moving in.
"I believe that they were notified," said Thurman-Francisco.
"If they were not it was a mistake on our part."
Although Cruz has found a positive in the number of roommates that she
has, she does have a concern with some of the areas in the building.
"It bothers me that the bathrooms are men's bathrooms. I heard
that sometimes guys use them and I am not comfortable with that."
Because Brandt has been an all-male housing facility, the bathrooms
on the first and second floors are designed as such, and thus include urinals
in what is now the women's restrooms.
In all, four rooms in Brandt which have traditionally been double occupancy
rooms have been converted into triples. The same scenario applies to 10
rooms in Stu-Han. Because of the size of the rooms, no triples have been
created at the Oaks.
Students who are living in doubles with three people are being given
a 20 percent discount off their housing costs.
As of yesterday, three of the four male triples have been eliminated.
In Stu-Han, three triples have been reduced, leaving eight triples remaining.
"This was a University created program to thank those who have
been accommodating to us during this period," said Thurman-Francisco.
Despite the Housing Office's efforts to accommodate the demand for on-campus
housing, 24 students still remained on a housing waiting list as of yesterday.
In order to satisfy the on-campus housing needs of those students on the
list, ULV has created a unique program.
Any student who signed up for housing by mid-August and did not get
a space on campus and was also awarded a ULV loan, could take the cash equivalent
of their ULV loan to pay for off-campus housing.
Students who had been guaranteed housing and did not get a space were
also given $500. Thurman-Francisco explained the rationale behind the $500
payment to students.
"Because the University felt that some promises were made to students
who wanted to live on campus."
A University task force has been created to address the problem with
overcrowded student housing. The committee which will convene in October,
will check the feasibility of several alternatives which include the possibility
of leasing off campus apartments and then placing University students in
such residences. This is an option which was utilized by the University
prior to the building of the Oaks Residence Halls.
The increased student population will mean more students for the Resident
Assistants and the Program Assistants as well.
"They will have to deal with increased roommate conflicts and they
have been trained to deal with just that," said Thurman-Francisco.
The repercussions of this year's housing challenges will not be determined
until current students sign up for on-campus housing for next year.
"I asked them if I would be in a double and they said yes. They
never said that I would live in a triple," Cruz said.
"This lowers my opinion of the University, it makes me feel that
it is not as good as last year," said Young.
Thurman-Francisco said that the effects of this year's situation is
a 50/50 proposition.
"It could affect students in two ways. They could feel that they
are too crowded and won't return, or they will do their paperwork and return."
