For the first time, UCSD is not guaranteeing its second year students on-campus housing. Approximately 35 percent of continuing second year students will be housed on campus for the 2001-2002 school year, an immense drop from this year’s 80 percent.
The reason for the change is the University of California’s need to accommodate 1,000 to 1,500 more students over the its eight campuses.
UCSD is already behind in numbers from last year, when it only filled 3,200 of 3,500 spots. The university is admitting more freshmen for next year to make up for this and to compensate for the additional freshmen being admitted into the entire system, which has created the housing crunch.
“”UCSD is in a planned growth mode as part of the UC system,”” said Muir Resident Dean Pat Danylyshyn-Adams.
There are about 5,100 beds available on campus, while the total undergraduate enrollment is around 17,000. Typically, 90 percent of incoming freshman accept on-campus housing, according to Director of Housing and Dining Services Mark Cunningham.
The current first-year class was admitted with the knowledge that they would not have guaranteed second-year housing. Cunningham said this was decided upon last year around this time so potential freshmen could be notified that they would not have the guarantee.
Some first-year students believe that they were misled to believe that they would have a chance of living on campus similar to that of past years.
“”I don’t think they gave us fair warning that we’d have such a small chance that we’d live in the apartments,”” said Muir freshman Zac Hays.
Warren Resident Dean Claire Palmer said the number of continuing students who will be able to get on-campus housing next year is still changing.
The ultimate goal of the self-supporting Housing and Dining Services is to return to the two-year guarantee as soon as possible. This year’s freshman class and next year’s incoming freshman do not have a two-year guarantee, and the following year may not either.
This is partially due to the construction of the new Eleanor Roosevelt College housing on North Campus. When completed, the structures will hold 1,240 additional beds with 440 in residence halls and 800 in apartments. The project was originally intended to be completed for fall 2002, but it will not be done until fall 2003. Cunningham attributed this to the good economy and the demand for construction.
The housing crunch is being dealt with in three ways, Cunningham said. The construction of the new Eleanor Roosevelt College is one part, and more potential building is being considered. This may be made possible with a faster construction process.
Housing and Dining Services is also looking into off-campus acquisitions. UCSD currently owns La Jolla Del Sol, an apartment complex off Regents Road. Housing and Dining Services bought it in 1987. The complex has 381 units, 126 of which are undergraduates. The rest of the building is occupied by faculty, staff, graduate students and medical students.
In addition to the loss of the two-year guarantee, transfer students will not receive housing next year.
Also, Cunningham said that the college Residential Life programs decided to abolish the all-campus housing program so that there could be equality among the colleges in numbers of spaces available.
According to Danylyshyn-Adams, Tioga and Tenaya halls will all be freshmen next year, whereas this year they house about 40 continuing students. Fifty-two beds in Tuolomne Apartments will also be allotted for freshmen. Sixty-two spaces for Muir students will be available on the Warren campus. These spaces will be clustered so that students can live in an environment with other Muir students.
Revelle sophomores will be housed in the Matthews Apartments. There will be spaces for about 250 students there. Argo Hall currently holds many sophomores, but next year there will be no continuing students in the residence halls. There will be spaces for Revelle students in Pepper Canyon and Warren apartments as well.
Warren sophomores will be housed in Douglass and Goldberg Halls, as they have been in the past.
“”The other colleges don’t have enough apartments,”” Palmer said. “”It’s not a good situation.””
Students are apprehensive about problems arising from not being able to live on campus.
“”We either have to share singles with three people or we have to live off-campus, and that would force people to get cars,”” said Roosevelt student Katie Dalton. “”Parking is already bad as it is. Some people can’t afford cars and living off-campus because La Jolla is really expensive.””
Room selection day will occur April 6. It will be followed by an off-campus housing fair in the Price Center. Off-campus housing facilities will come to campus to allow students to investigate options and prices if they do not receive on-campus housing.
“”Groups have priority over singles and doubles in room selection,”” Cunningham said.
He advised that one thing students can do to increase their chances of receiving on-campus housing is to form groups and apply for housing in those groups. Most on-campus apartments house four people, though some Muir apartments hold five.
Waiting lists will also be formed through all the colleges’ Residential Life Offices for students who do not receive housing in the initial raffle and still want it.
“”Don’t be discouraged from going through room selection,”” Cunningham said. “”It’s worth it to go through it and see when you end up.””
All the colleges have been holding off-campus housing informative sessions, and they will continue to do so through the remainder of the year. Warren college is planning socials for students to meet and interact with potential off-campus roommates.
“”Take a deep breath and step back and reassess the situation,”” Danylyshyn-Adams said. “”It’s workable. Lots of people do it already.””
On-campus students will be receiving brochures in their mailboxes in the next week. These will include information about on-campus room selection.
“”My heart goes out to the students that will be going off-campus,”” Palmer said. “”I know some will be ready to go off-campus and others wish they had another year.””
