<p>Great info - thanks.</p>
<p>That's the link if you have a signed contract and are trying to switch contracts with someone. If you have a crappy room assignment, it'll be tough to find somebody to switch with.</p>
<p>If you don't have a contract or choose to not sign/return your contract, then you can do the contract reassignment here</p>
<p>(change the last 1 to a 2 for female reassignment board)</p>
<p>Google yourself and what do you get? You find yourself on a new turd list. More infamous for one e-mail than for all the pearls I'd previously cast amongst the swine :). No swine in particular (lol).</p>
<p>I am indeed the infamous Carle of UofM Housing. And I just may have sent the e-mail as shown a few pages back. I'm sure if I stated that UofM no longer guarantees housing for freshman I had done so only after confirming that with one of two senior supervisors. Policies change quite often at the U. Previous years we held much the same policy: guaranteed housing for freshman - as long as they process their paperwork in a TIMELY manner. </p>
<p>In Housing we are often hung out to dry by the Admissions office that doesn't seem to know how many beds we actually have available on campus. However, the fine staff in ALL of Housing goes to incredible lengths to provide 3 squares and a cot to every freshman than is sent to us. Sometimes we have to get creative to do so, but we manage to accomplish just that. We go so far as to make living space of common lounges that were not necessarily intended to function as such, but even the occupants of THOSE rooms are ultimately pleased with what we have done to accommodate them. Not everyone is going to be completely happy with their assignment. You just can't make 10,000 people completely happy all the time. You cant do that with a dozen people. Not even at the almighty U! We're hoping to at least try with the building of a new North Quad res hall (albeit not soon enough) and the beginning of many years of remodeling, one res hall at a time. Bringing this ol' school (at least the residence halls - we don't have dorms) into the 21st Century is not done quickly, nor without great expense.</p>
<p>9/11 created many vacancies in the Northwood Community Apartments (formerly know as "Family Housing"). These apartments had, up until that fateful date, enjoyed a diverse population of international students, many of whom brought family with them. 9/11 resulted in stricter visa processing and many of those students found it difficult to come to the US (and therefore the U) creating much needed bed space. In the last couple of years we made parts of that community available to single graduate students, and then the undergrad population. This conversion also helps to relieve some of the inevitable pressure of losing the Mosher-Jordon residence halls to remodeling for the next couple of years.</p>
<p>We do get a certain amount of additional rooms in the Fall from students who find off-campus housing during the summer and offer their contracts to in-coming students. This is permissible only under the supervision of the assignment coordinators, and there is NO GUARANTEE that anyone resorting to this method will be released from their contract for University Housing. But sometimes it works out for all parties.</p>
<p>Our #1 priority is providing safe and affordable housing to the students. A close #2 is being sure all available beds are filled so that we have the funds to fulfill our obligations to the students, and to the staff providing and caring for our student tenants. We don't get General Fund monies....we are self-sustaining. And you don't often hear of people bequeathing millions of dollars to a university for their housing programs; it's usually the academics or the sports that get free mad money. (Now if they took the money they were going to spend on the remodel of the Big House......yeah, not likely....priorities.)</p>
<p>I meant to create no more angst that an in-coming student - or his/her parent(s) - is/are already experiencing. Be sure that if you are a freshman coming to the U that we will do ALL that is in our power to find you suitable housing (as measured by normal people) for your academic year. Be sure that if you are ANY student coming to the U, you will find people in the Housing Information Office that will do everything they can for you to find suitable housing, either on campus or in off-campus housing.</p>
<p>Your humble "low level employee" of UofM Housing,</p>
<p>Carle Svitil</p>
<p>P.S. Maybe the next time I Google myself (sounds dirty, doesnt it :)?), Ill find that someone said something positive about me. Be sure, no upper-management would have taken the time to respond to your concerns as I have tried tonight. But they're not mud to you.....yet ;)</p>
<p>This is NOT intended as "OFFICIAL" university correspondence. I am not to be considered an official Housing spokes-person. Being a "low level employee" means they don't consult me (they know better) about what to do in Housing; just my honest perception of the way things are "going down" in the Housing community.</p>
<p>That's a helpful post, and confirms what most people have been saying in this thead and elsewhere. Incidentally, I don't think you're on the **** list. One person was a little testy, which is unfortunate.</p>
<p>However, I did want to clarify one point:</p>
<p>
[quote]
In Housing we are often hung out to dry by the Admissions office that doesn't seem to know how many beds we actually have available on campus.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I would go back and check with your higher ups on that one. I won't deny Housing has been put in a tight spot in recent years. It is not from Admissions not knowing the number of beds.</p>
<p>OK - Carle. Sorry. I'm ticked about the title of this thread which smacks of "National Enquirer" sensationalism -- taking information out of context and creating news where there is none. There's no shortage of housing for freshmen - and no reason for any incoming student to be concerned.</p>
<p>snorky,</p>
<p>I make no apologies for the title of this thread as it is nothing but factual.</p>
<p>The admissions department clearly and unambigously stated that "it is the policy of the University that housing will not be guaranteed for freshman." The also clearly stated that this is a new policy. If you think that this is sensationalism, take it up with them. </p>
<p>If this has the effect of motivating freshman to prepare and remit their housing paperwork in an expidited fashion, then I see that as a service and the type of information I would hope to get from this board.</p>
<p>I am genuinely confused about your protestations.</p>