2008 Woodie Awards
No room in the end for SLU housing?
Editorial Board
Issue date: 4/4/08 Section: Editorials
For three years, the pressure-cooker of overcrowded student housing has been steaming at Saint Louis University. This week, it began to boil over.
After sign-up appointments concluded on Saturday, March 29, 219 SLU students were wait-listed for housing. They were instructed to regularly call the Department of Housing and Residence Life in order to try and snag anticipated openings for the fall. Even then, demand will likely outweigh supply.
This housing shortage is no new problem-in fact, it has happened before. Last year, 261 students were waitlisted, although the University found a place for all of them.
But a larger problem is looming on the horizon, one that Housing and Residence Life has done nothing about. If they don't act soon, SLU officials and students will be left to stew in the consequences of their inaction.
In 2005, Housing and Residence Life officials had a brilliant idea. Determined to increase retention, selectivity, rankings and quality of campus life, they ruled that $2,000 of each merit-based scholarship (except for the Presidential Scholarship) be allocated toward on-campus housing. This would increase population density, encourage on-campus socialization and evaporate SLU's former reputation as a commuter school.
The plan worked-too well. Attached by a $2,000 string, more students opted for SLU housing, instead of transferring or moving off campus. Now, more bodies than will fit want to sleep on campus this fall-and there's nowhere to put them.
Housing and Residence Life has been dishearteningly irresponsible in dealing with this debacle. As early as December 2005, an observant student, Matthew Lehner, identified this very same problem in a commentary for The University News.
He noticed that, as classes with the new scholarship move through the system, there would be an increase in the number of students wanting and needing to live on campus.
Yet, we heard nothing about it until the following September, when Housing and Residence Life sent an errant e-mail to all on-campus residents, which admitted to a 107 percent occupancy rate. How, one must ask, is that even possible? What rate of occupancy will SLU grapple with if they reach their reputed admissions goal of 1,800 students for the class of 2012?
After sign-up appointments concluded on Saturday, March 29, 219 SLU students were wait-listed for housing. They were instructed to regularly call the Department of Housing and Residence Life in order to try and snag anticipated openings for the fall. Even then, demand will likely outweigh supply.
This housing shortage is no new problem-in fact, it has happened before. Last year, 261 students were waitlisted, although the University found a place for all of them.
But a larger problem is looming on the horizon, one that Housing and Residence Life has done nothing about. If they don't act soon, SLU officials and students will be left to stew in the consequences of their inaction.
In 2005, Housing and Residence Life officials had a brilliant idea. Determined to increase retention, selectivity, rankings and quality of campus life, they ruled that $2,000 of each merit-based scholarship (except for the Presidential Scholarship) be allocated toward on-campus housing. This would increase population density, encourage on-campus socialization and evaporate SLU's former reputation as a commuter school.
The plan worked-too well. Attached by a $2,000 string, more students opted for SLU housing, instead of transferring or moving off campus. Now, more bodies than will fit want to sleep on campus this fall-and there's nowhere to put them.
Housing and Residence Life has been dishearteningly irresponsible in dealing with this debacle. As early as December 2005, an observant student, Matthew Lehner, identified this very same problem in a commentary for The University News.
He noticed that, as classes with the new scholarship move through the system, there would be an increase in the number of students wanting and needing to live on campus.
Yet, we heard nothing about it until the following September, when Housing and Residence Life sent an errant e-mail to all on-campus residents, which admitted to a 107 percent occupancy rate. How, one must ask, is that even possible? What rate of occupancy will SLU grapple with if they reach their reputed admissions goal of 1,800 students for the class of 2012?
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Jessica
posted 4/04/08 @ 3:20 PM CST
Wow. I'm a graduate of SLU and I know if that would've happened to me after I had enrolled, I would've been pissed. The only thing I can suggest to SLU's housing is to try and look to neighboring apartment complexes. (Continued…)
Iosa
posted 4/05/08 @ 2:06 PM CST
Many of my friends are on the wait-list. I was fortunate enough to get a space just before they filled up. Considering the amount of money that each student spends to go here, I would like to see more housing. (Continued…)
Ron
posted 4/12/08 @ 7:39 PM CST
What SLU needs to do is allow Seniors (and maybe also Juniors) to have "portability" of their $2,000 scholarship to relieve some of the pressure for on-campus housing. (Continued…)
Erich
posted 5/08/08 @ 9:56 AM CST
Hi there and thanks for an interesting article. I am a developer here in the SLU area located very close to the campus. Seldom do I ever get phone calls or inquiries into my lofts, even though I am a simple walk away. (Continued…)
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