UVa RLO Changes Dorm Selection Process

Colleges & Universities A-Z University of Virginia
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<p><a href="http://cavalierdaily.com/CVArticle.asp?ID=33059&pid=1712%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://cavalierdaily.com/CVArticle.asp?ID=33059&pid=1712&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>U.Va. alters dormitory preferences
Incoming students no longer able to rank dorm preferences between McCormick, Alderman options</p>

<p>Samantha Koon, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer</p>

<p>Starting this fall, incoming first-year University students will no longer be able to show a preference between the McCormick Road and Alderman Road areas when applying for on-Grounds housing.</p>

<p>In its present state, the housing process can result in "artificial separation by area,"said Angela Davis, associate dean of students and director of resident life. "We want people to choose their housing option according to a program."</p>

<p>Davis said she hopes this change will emphasize the programmatic differences among the various first-year housing options and will encourage incoming students to consider the opportunities each type of housing provides.</p>

<p>She explained that incoming first-year students should consider whether they want the shared dining experience, faculty interaction and opportunity to live with upperclassmen that residential colleges offer or whether they would prefer to live exclusively with other first-year students and resident advisors.</p>

<p>Davis said she feels this change will increase diversity within first-year dormitories. She explained that in previous years, students often chose the McCormick or Alderman Road areas based on where friends from their high school, ethnic group or home community chose to live. Furthermore, legacy students would select housing based on where a parent or grandparent lived.</p>

<p>Davis said she hopes that in randomizing housing, the first-year community will see an increase in diversity of perspectives and culture.</p>

<p>"There is enough diversity in the incoming class that I trust the random selection process," she said, noting she feels this randomization will only add to what she believes will be the most diverse first-year class yet at the University.</p>

<p>Minority Rights Coalition Co-Chair Patrick Lee, on the other hand, said he believes the decision is harmful for minority students, many of whom currently choose to live in the Alderman Road area dorms primarily because they are encouraged to do so by older students. He noted that the opportunity to choose between dormitories allows minority students to have a safe place and said randomizing the process will only isolate minorities.</p>

<p>"I just think that this reeks of the University trying to force diversity on its student body," Lee said.</p>

<p>Lee also noted his belief that the administration has not properly announced the change to the students and did not ask for a student voice in the process.</p>

<p>University Guide Service Chair Emily Whalen noted, though, that she feels taking away dormitory preferences will change the stereotypes of first-year dormitories.</p>

<p>"I'm actually really excited about the change in stereotypical demographics," Whalen said. "I can't say whether the stereotypes are true, but they are out there."</p>

<p>Lee said he believes the decision would be less harmful if students were encouraged to choose between hall-style dormitories or suite-style living arrangements as opposed to the traditional "old" and "new" dormitories, giving students the choice between different social situations.</p>

<p>Whalen also emphasized the importance of the social aspect of the dorms.</p>

<p>"It's not about location," Whalen said. "It's about the first-year living experience."</p>

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<p>There are a lot of ups and downs to this decision which comes from a long standing discussion about the stereotyping of dorm areas, why that occurs, and what the University should do about it.</p>

<p>Personally, I'm definitely against the new decision. I understand the argument for the change, but it honestly won't produce the results they are looking for.</p>

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<p>whalen was my first year roommate in brown.......lol.</p>

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<p>I think this is a poor decision on the University’s part. I would be very interested to read what others think about the wisdom of this action.</p>

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<p>This feels like assigned seating in high school...</p>

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<p>I don't think this is a great idea. A friend and I were talking about over this at lunch and we both agreed that people should still be able to choose hall vs suite style. I think that it's fair to say that everyone has a preference, and it's unfair to take that choice away. I like being around people and want the ability to be around a mix of people, but at the same time, I want my own personal space, thus I prefer hall style dorms. But, I know a friend who really wanted the closeness of a few people that comes with a suite.<br>
With the coming of the new "new dorms", they should let people pick hall or suite still, especially since the first new dorm is opening (they're hall-style for those who don't know). Suite living is being phased out as far as I know, unless other new "new dorm" buildings are different than the current one being built. Thus, this issue is going to resolve itself in a few years once this project is complete. Everything will be hall style, everything will just be totally random. But right now, people still have options, and they should be able to arrange their first year experience to how they want. Then again, what does a high school senior know? According to UVA Housing, nothing.</p>

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<p>Well, I don't think it's a great thing that there has been such a diversity between new and old dorms, although it makes it easier in choosing a location that better fits your personality.</p>

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<p>well soon there wont be suite style - theyre rebuilding all the new dorms to be hall style</p>

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<p>I heard there was a new dorm opening in the fall. Is that true?</p>

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<p>I don't know, I'm not so upset by this decision. I thought it was very curious how certain people got the Old Dorms, and the others got the rest. I'll leave it at that.</p>

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<p>I'm generally reluctant to disagree with Powderpuff, but I've got to on this one. I find this RLO move unsettling, and I believe it will prove counterproductive to UVa’s goal of promoting cohesion amid a diverse student population, which I believe is very important to the University for any number of reasons.</p>

<p>The decision to make the new dorms Hall style and not Suite style was primarily motivated by cost. It’s less expensive, on a per student basis, to build Hall style dorms than it is Suite style, according to a high ranking UVa official who will remain nameless. The decision to go with Hall style in the dorms now under construction doesn’t imply that one type of living arrangement is better than the other. As others have said, that’s a matter of personal preference based on what each individual student desires.</p>

<p>Or, more correctly stated, it used to be a matter of personal preference. Now UVa will decide for the student, under the guise of giving incoming students choices based on “the programmatic differences among the various first-year housing options”. If you’ll pardon my French, that’s a crock! And it’s also unfortunate.</p>

<p>Minority Rights Coalition Co-Chair Patrick Lee is correct, IMO. This attempt by the University to force diversity on its student body will actually be detrimental to minority students, many of whom have benefited by UVa’s previous policy of allowing incoming students to choose either Alderman or McCormick Road dorms. Lee also makes an excellent point regarding the failure of the University to obtain meaningful input from students before moving forward with this new housing initiative. That’s even more unfortunate.</p>

<p>Instead of wasting time, energy and resources “fixing” something that isn’t broken (which in fact has worked quite well for a number of years), and upsetting and inconveniencing first-year students in the process, the University should focus its efforts on making meaningful improvements in other areas that are sorely in need of change. A great place to start would be with the Echols Scholar Program. As presently configured, Echols does precious little to help UVa compete with Ivy League schools for students offered admission to both. That’s something the University should commit itself to changing, while leaving well enough alone with the Housing Program for first-year students.</p>

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<p>personally I don't see the lack of choice as an issue when the students actually move into the dorms. To me this is one of those issues that people get upset about but once the change happens it will become an afterthought.</p>

<p>I don't know why the university went about doing this now considering the suite style dorms are being torn down one at a time. Last I heard they would all be gone by 2011 or so (don't quote me on it). I'm sure we've found a way to delay the process though.</p>

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<p>A couple thoughts:</p>

<p>There certainly is a "situation" regarding first years, where they live, and how it looks through a racial (and other demographics) lens. This is not new. I personally have had discussions about it with classmates every semester since arriving in the fall of 05. What I think the problem is, is that the powers that be, the RLO for one (which has a track record of leaving much to be desired), haven't taken strides to get a comprehensive view of the situation. </p>

<p>What do you always hear about old vs. new dorms? All the minorities live in new dorms. The rich white kids, including much of the southern population, live in old dorms. Old dorms kids are the ones who go greek (IFC and ISC). Certainly there have been trends and these statements above are ridiculously overstated, but why are there trends?</p>

<p>Before going into any kind of decision about change I would like to have seen studies involving these questions:
- Why do students list their preference the way they do?
- How many have heard of stereotypes before making a selection?
- How many (and where have they ended up living) people were influenced by a current or former UVa student
- Statistics on race and geography showing preference and actual assignment</p>

<p>Of course one of the biggest parts of going about change should have been a student panel, hearing, something that enabled current students to provide input, not just those who may work with or are close to the people making decisions. Student self-governance. This has been an issue for students, they should have been involved. No one knows better, or has a better view on topics like this, than those who care passionately about it and don't have any type of political agenda.</p>

<p>All of this should have been done before any decision to change. This would be the "analyzing the problem" step that appears to have been skipped. How do you arrive at a good conclusion or plan for the future without first having understood what the problem is?</p>

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<p>wazhoom - maybe it's a little unfair of us to assume that they have done no research on the problem at hand. The issue has been a topic for a long time and I find it hard to believe that the university spent all this time waiting to make a switch without doing any sort of study. Obviously we have no information on the matter so we really don't know.</p>

<p>or if you want to look at it another way, they are solving the problem by tearing down all the suite style dorms, problem solved!</p>

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<p>here's the problem. </p>

<p>living on grounds as a student for just a semester, and one can witness how things get done around here. I don't doubt that there was some research done, but where is it? Why can't we see it? At UVa we pride ourselves in having the students be the most significant factor in terms of making change, deciding how to handle things. Now I understand the change last year about removing early decision, even though that is another topic that I think students should have had more of a voice on, but this applies directly to student life, and as such, students should have had an open and public participation in the process. There was no such thing.</p>

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<p>I know that several CavDaily articles over the years have addressed this problem and have published data regarding the demographics of each area.</p>

<p>Off-hand, I remember reading that old dorms had about a 20% minority population vs a 40% minority population in new dorms. Try searching the CavDaily website to see if some of the data comes up, as I don't remember exactly which article stated this.</p>

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<p>right, but that's not the kind of data i'm looking for. that stuff is what we all SEE and is a good starting point. however i'm looking below the surface, why do we have those numbers? what are students doing? what are the people who assign housing doing?</p>