Friday September 28, 2001

Housing shortage could require a 'first-come, first-serve' policy

In addition to proposed housing caps for returning students, Residence Life is also considering an end to guaranteed housing deadlines for new students, officials said.

In the mid-1990s, the deadline for dorm application was March 1. However, in 1998, because of low freshman enrollment, the date was pushed back to May 1.

Since then, the number of incoming freshmen grew by nearly 1,000, to more than 6,000 students, while the guarantee date remained the same. The University of Arizon's housing crunch stems directly from the three-year growth.

Jim Van Arsdel, director of Residence Life and University Housing, said housing shortages occur when the expected growth rate of incoming students exceeds the amount of available space.

"We don't even know the number of incoming freshmen until April or May, and in any given year, 75 percent of our residents are freshmen," he said.

This year, more than 200 students were displaced due to the housing shortage. Residence Life converted study rooms and lounges in many dorms to house overflow dorm applicants. Others were placed in local hotels. More than 40 students will remain in the hotels all semester.

All of the displaced students entered their housing applications by the May 1 deadline, although Van Arsdel said those students housed in hotels and lounges turned their applications in on or near the cutoff date.

In response to the growing housing shortage, Van Arsdel said Residence Life formed a committee to address housing concerns.

Residence Hall Association representatives, Residence Life staff, parents and administration members comprise the committee.

At an Associated Students of the University of Arizona meeting Wednesday, the committee presented two proposals to combat UA's housing shortage. One involved a proposed housing cap for returning students. The other proposed to eliminate guaranteed housing for new students at the university.

"The proposed system would work on a first-come, first-served basis," said Associated Students president Ray Quintero.

The committee's plan states that 4,452 spaces would be reserved for new students. After filling those slots, the housing guarantee for new students would no longer apply. The committee proposed that Residence Life warn new students to apply for housing as early as possible to avoid problems garnering a room.

The committee's proposal will eventually be passed to Saundra Taylor, vice president of Campus Life, then on to university President Peter Likins. Likins will present the final proposal to the Arizona Board of Regents.

ASUA senators and RHA members unanimously supported elimination of housing guarantee deadlines.

Quintero said he thinks the proposal is a good start.

"I think it's a good temporary solution laying the groundwork for a long-term solution."