Approximately 100 angry juniors were told that they would not be able to join their classmates in living off campus during their senior year. This is not an issue solely centered on the inability to live with friends or experience independent living. There is an even bigger problem at hand: the very flawed housing system at Fairfield.
Fairfield prides itself on offering guaranteed housing for an undergraduate’s four years. It is certainly a selling point to prospective students and their parents. However, a positive attribute becomes a resented constraint as soon it is forced upon students, which is currently how the situation stands.
Living beyond the confines of University housing provides an invaluable experience that develops and cultivates an individual’s independence in the real world. Where students live has a definite influence on the overall student life dynamics at Fairfield. Beyond the social reasons to live off campus, the University needs this housing to satisfy undergraduate living needs as well.
The University cites a “gentlemen’s agreement” with town officials as the reason for off-campus restrictions, but perhaps the administration should consider remedying such an outdated agreement.
Meanwhile, FUSA and the Senate should be commended for their attempt to understand and change the housing dilemma. FUSA has created a Facebook group to make the Off-Campus Boarder (OCB) process more transparent to growing concerns. Senate has also posed possible solutions to issues with the OCB, one being to scrap the restricting system entirely.
With the failure of plans to build garden apartments, widespread student complaints increased and remain unresolved as students are forced to live in undesirable living arrangements, even as upperclassmen.
The administration says that it is working on future plans to combat housing woes, including the renovation of current building facilities, but when will these plans be revealed and put into effect? When will administrators realize that the University must allow more students to live off campus to create much needed space on campus?
Increased enrollment numbers – no matter how large or small – puts more of a burden on the already weak housing system.
More selectivity, however, can result in both smaller numbers of forced freshmen triples and a higher caliber of students.
Leave a Reply