UCSD is so highly academic, so focused on research and learning, that making it an administrative priority to bring Greek housing closer to campus seems ill-fitting. Even those of us who have never actually seen “Animal House” know the frat-boy/sorority-chick stereotype well enough to fear it. Since the Greek system at UCSD is not as omnipresent as it is at other universities, what could be a bigger waste of money than an effort to get them houses near campus? Quite frankly, the bigger waste would be sinking more money into on-campus dorms that serve more as a temporary stopping point than the center of a vibrant community.
We all know academic life and social life aren’t easy to balance over four years, but UCSD Greeks seem to be doing as well as anyone and better than some [“Housing or not, balanced life goes on for Greeks,” the Guardian, Nov. 7]. According to Panhellenic Council President Heather Doshay, Greeks report a higher average GPA than the UCSD population as a whole, and it’s not by accident. They require a minimum GPA of 2.5 and have officers that enforce scholarship standards and recognize members with good grades. Members attest to higher levels of university pride as a result of their involvement in the organizations, as well as a greater sense of belonging. It’s also well-known that Greek alumni more often donate to their alma mater.
That mentality, if encouraged, could be a relatively quick and effective way of improving UCSD’s sense of community, as well as its social life and lackluster rate of alumni donations. There is no more traditional method for establishing a college social scene than putting Greek housing close to campus, and UCSD Greeks have proved that they aren’t the air-headed party animals that make some fraternities more of a joke than a point of pride. But in La Jolla, housing is only slightly easier to find than an “S” spot near Center Hall, and much more expensive than a parking permit. Hence the need for administration support.
The problem, from the administration’s perspective, is that Greeks represent less than 10 percent of the student body and UCSD currently doesn’t guarantee both general and transfer students two years of on-campus housing. As a result, they don’t consider establishing Greek housing to be a priority. Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Joseph W. Watson in particular argues that until all students have at least a two-year housing guarantee, UCSD shouldn’t fund housing that isn’t equally accessible to all students.
But equal distribution and access to university housing for all students is hardly a rule. International House is a great example of an institution that not all students have full access to. It’s not just near campus, it’s on campus, and even though we help pay for it, no student is guaranteed a space; they must apply and be selected, not unlike a fraternity. Eleanor Roosevelt College’s new facilities are shiny and accessible — unless you belong to another college.
Some make the argument that more on-campus housing will help improve the student scene at UCSD, and therefore the administration’s priorities are valid. Commuter students far outnumber those living in dorms on campus, and they usually live at least 15 minutes away because of the lack of close, affordable housing. As a result, they tend to stay closer to home in their free time. This is no doubt one of the main factors behind the dreary state of campus life.
But this is exactly what a concerted effort to bring the most socially-savvy student organizations closer to home can solve. There’s certainly no reason to assume it’s going to happen with the construction of more dorms. We have more dorms now than we did four years ago, but few would say that they’ve had any kind of effect on social life. All entering freshmen already receive a two-year guarantee, and even though do not, enrollment at UCSD did not drop. Neither UCLA nor UC Berkeley offers a two-year housing guarantee, and their students survive just fine.
The message of the very long Student Satisfaction Survey released this year was that the entire school needs to break out of the rut it has found itself in and start trying new things. That includes the administration. Not all the benefits of Greek housing will go to all students, but the the improved sense of community, the establishment of a growing “student village” around UCSD, is something we can all benefit from. A Greek Row alone won’t do it, but it will be a definite step in the right direction, a sign that we’ve begun to create a real campus village, rather than a campus surrounded by towns that happen to house students.
Just think about how often students complain about nothing happening on campus, versus how often they complain about not getting a dorm room for their second year. The administration has to resist the urge to do more of the same-old, same-old if they want to improve campus life.
