It was the email read ‘round the University: students entering in Fall of 2018 and beyond will be required to live on campus for a total of six semesters, with study abroad counting towards the total. This allows for only students in their 4th year or beyond to move off campus. But let’s walk it back, and go through the entire email.
1. “While we understand the decision to move off-campus is motivated by a number of good reasons, we believe a critical strength of our residence hall communities is upper-classmen serving as models and mentors to underclassmen.”
Okay, they acknowledge the motivations of the students, and raise a decent point: upperclassmen in halls make the residence hall at Notre Dame different than living in freshmen dorms at any other college.
2. The yearlong study of off-campus students resulted in: “We learned, among other things, that while students overwhelmingly valued the community formed in their halls, they were attracted by off-campus amenities and the greater independence of off-campus living. Some found off-campus housing more economical, others were unhappy with the inflexibility of meal plan options on campus, and some were put off by a lack of consistency in procedures and rules across residence halls.”
Yes. These are the real concerns of real students. Expenses are key for students from low-income backgrounds. I rarely hear about issues with the rigid dining hall plans, but for engineers or other almost-nocturnal students, it seems fair enough. Then, lack of consistency in procedures and rules across campus. Ah, the long-standing issue of the dorm double standard, yet they don’t want to name it as such. This is a strong motivation for women in particular to move off campus.
3. “Based on what we learned, we will look for ways to retain seniors on campus. We are considering increased flexibility in meal plans, more autonomy in room picks, and additional leadership roles for seniors in the halls.”
I mean, the first one addresses an identified concern as listed above, but the last two are not solutions to the issues of the double standard or the price of on-campus housing.
4. “develop and implement senior incentives over the next two to three years.”
See what has been stressed: ways to retain seniors. Here, incentives are stated as available for seniors, ignoring the underclassmen who move off campus.
5. “beginning with the matriculating class of 2018 (graduating class of 2022) the University will require first-year students, sophomores, and juniors to live on campus for six semesters (with study abroad counting toward those six semesters).”
And this solution does not address the stated problem. The rest of the email is about retention of seniors and the real issues they have with life in the halls.
And then we get to the responses of the student body.
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Not caring, because it doesn’t affect them.
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Concern for low-income students
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Further discussion of dorm double standards
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Issues of isolation in the hall
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The fact that the halls, for various reasons, fail some students
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Parietals. Some just aren’t a fan.
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Enthusiasm for the strengthening of residential life
So where do we go? It seems unlikely the administration will change its position on this. It doesn’t mean that students shouldn’t give their feedback, on behalf of the future domers. We all want them to have the best Notre Dame experience possible.
Feedback should be directed to: CampusResidency@nd.edu.
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