Student input drives housing changes

Issue date: 4/11/07
Publication: Middlebury Campus
Section: News
Kerren McKeeman

Beginning in the spring of 2008, seniors will be allowed to apply for rooms in any of the College's five Commons during room draw, according to an all-student e-mail sent by President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz last week. The change is the result of a proposal from the Student Government Association (SGA) that was issued to Liebowitz in November of 2006.

According to the results of a student survey administered by the SGA in October of 2006, unfair housing was cited as the number one source of student dissatisfaction with the room draw system. The SGA then compiled a report addressing the "inequities and flaws" of the current room draw process. After considering the proposal and consulting members of the community, Liebowitz announced the plan to implement an open senior draw.

According to Liebowitz, the Open Senior Draw solution may represent the best option for making housing equal considering the College's current priorities.

"Should we spend that much of our limited resources on [improving Commons] infrastructure and its operations," he said, "or put the funds [towards] the academic program and financial aid?" wrote Liebowitz in an e-mail.

Although enhancing the Commons system is a projected goal outlined in the College's Strategic Plan, some of the goals for the system have not yet been reached. Consequently, housing for seniors could remain in its current state for some time to come, according to Liebowitz.

"Because we do not plan to build new residence halls that could equalize housing options for several years," wrote Liebowitz, "this negativity [associated with the Commons] is likely to persist for an extended period."

In order to address the current state of the Commons system using available resources, Liebowitz said he wants to make changes now that will address student concerns, and relieve tensions until the Commons reaches completion.

Instrumental in implementing the change was SGA President Alex Stanton '07 and Chief of Staff Isabel Yordan '07. Their proposal to Liebowitz last November included seven suggestions for enhancing room draw, one of which was to create an open senior draw.

The proposal sought to address the results of the student survey taken last fall by the SGA, which found that 43.6 percent of students either disapproved or strongly disapproved of the current room draw arrangement. The survey also revealed that 47.7 percent of students said that the elimination of the Commons-based room draw would improve their perception of the Commons systems as a whole.

In addition to working with the SGA, Liebowitz has also worked closely with the Commons Deans, as well as Dean of the College Tim Spears and Dean of Student Affairs Ann Hanson. However, though Liebowitz has been discussing the issue with members of the administration for several years, since this academic year, he has made conscious efforts to consider student opinions on the issue.

"We discussed this issue during the Strategic Planning process," wrote Liebowitz, "but decided at that point to engage students more before determining how to proceed."

Once the SGA's suggestions, the results of the student poll and the points brought up in individual meetings with students were considered, Liebowitz decided to make the official change.

"Members of the President's staff recognized there are both pluses and drawbacks to changing Room Draw," wrote Liebowitz, "but in the end, I believe students made the case that making the change now made sense."

Complete details of the change, including the role of remaining Junior Counselor bonus points, and seniors' Commons Deans assignments, have yet to be finalized. Currently, students are assigned Commons Deans according to their Commons of residence. It remains to be seen whether seniors will be able to keep their dean or will be reassigned to the dean that corresponds with their senior housing should they be housed in a different Commons.

"It makes my job easier to know the students that live in senior housing on a personal basis," said Karin Hall-Kolts, Brainerd Commons coordinator. "Then if there is an incident report or damage done to the house, I can speak with the residents and know that I will get a truthful answer."

"The rise of senior leadership in the Commons has been an excellent development," said Cook Commons Dean David Edleson, who hopes the change will not threaten seniors who wish to stay involved in their Commons.

Although Liebowitz states that the assignment of deans for seniors has not yet been implemented, he hopes that students will have the option to continue the relationships they have already developed.

"I would like to think that it is more important for our Deans to 'manage' people and relationships and not real estate," wrote Liebowitz. "This assumes students carry their deans wherever they live, and where one lives ceases to determine their dean."

Edleson has other concerns about the new senior open draw. Edleson predicts that seniors will face more confusion during room draw.

"Now, an individual senior will be competing against the entire class in figuring out where to live, rather than competing against the other seniors in their Commons," he said.

Although Edleson agreed that "we needed to make adjustments to room draw," his experience has shown that students are always dissatisfied.

"The Middlebury mania about room draw is, and has been, completely beyond reason for as long as I've been here," he said, "and is likely to continue after this change as well." Edleson's advice to students is, "You didn't pick Middlebury for a room. Chill out."