As the lower level of the Barone Campus Center filled with students, including many members of FUSA, for the Open Housing Forum, all eyes fell on four administrators. As Vice President for Administrative and Student Affairs Mark Reed, Dean of Students Tom Pellegrino, Director of Residence Deb Cady and Associate Director of Residence Life Jason Downer dodged every question tossed at them from the audience, not much progress was made.
Meanwhile, the students failed on their end as well. After a year of attempts to discuss the issues of the on and off-campus housing lottery system, FUSA finally succeeded in gaining the ears of the administration after a threatened protest on Admitted Students Day; this forum was a result of a fumbled away opportunity that could have forced change.
The administration was allowed to speak for far too long, ignoring the original limit of three minutes per answer and six minutes per question set for the speakers. Reed and his fellow administrators were allowed to ramble on endlessly, making students who came eager to have their voices heard forced to wait to have their question answered, to only be given a non-conclusive answer.
An unfortunate fire alarm in the middle of the forum at 10 p.m. also discouraged students from speaking as many left instead of waiting outside to be let back in. Many FUSA voices were heard, but that should have been done months ago, in a Senate meeting, rather than in a supposed open forum for the entire student body. Housing woes were apparent back in November when the Off-Campus Boarder lottery results were released, but it took until the last week of 2007-2008 school year for a discussion to begin with the administration.
Reed pushed aside the importance of Senate and student’s opinions, saying that the new housing plans do not need to be confirmed by the Senate before being accepted, because of the amount of money in play. But, the students are the ones that provide the University with the majority of the money and are the ones that will be living in the new housing.
It should be the students and the alumni, represented by the Board of Trustees, that make the important decisions on campus.
Finally, it is important for the administration to remember that although students are also adults. Students who are 21 or 22 years old need not be “released” before being allowed off campus. Guaranteed housing is an important aspect of the University during a student’s first two or three years on campus, but after that it should be the student’s choice where they live.
Although the forum was a small step in the right direction, both the students and the administration left much to be desired on Tuesday night.
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