According to Tim Lempfert, the associate director of Residential Life, the office will be meeting with all of the students who have not been assigned to find housing for them. They may not be placed with the people they originally filed the petition with, or in one of their preferred dorms.

Housing is assigned in three rounds: the Residential College round, the North Side round and the South 40 round.

Lempfert says that some students have been placed since round three assignments were released last week.

Still, many students who were not placed in Round 3 are still waiting for their housing assignments and are looking for alternative housing options.

Sophomore Taylor McCain applied for housing in Round 2, and was denied. He subsequently applied for housing on the South 40 in Round 3, and was again denied.

ResLife told the members of his petition that they were guaranteed housing, but would likely be broken up.

He is now searching for an off-campus apartment with his friends while awaiting his ResLife assignment.

“It has been really frustrating. I don’t know what the school could do to fix it but it’s obviously not the best outcome,” said McCain.

Sophomore Sophia Hirsch is also awaiting news on her housing assignment after being rejected in Round 2 and 3.

After realizing that there are few apartments still available off campus, her suite decided to remain on campus. She said that she expects her suite to be broken up by ResLife.

“Its incredibly frustrating. I was never informed that it would be so difficult to have housing. I assumed after Round 2 I would be able to get housing in Round 3,” Hirsch said. “You assume when you are told you are guaranteed housing you are actually going to get housing.”

Some students who were rejected in Round 3 have already been assigned alternative housing by ResLife.

Freshman Greg Porter originally hoped to be placed in a four-person traditional suite on the South 40.

After he was not assigned in Round 3, ResLife placed his suite in Hitzeman, and is assigning two random students to the six-person suite.

Despite the difficulty, Porter still credits ResLife for finding him housing

“They’ve been really helpful, it’s not their fault that there are too may people here,” Porter said.

According to Lempfert, students were not placed because more three and four person petitions were submitted than there were suites available.

He said that all students who submitted a contract will be placed in ResLife housing, either on or off campus.

He also said that this housing situation is not unusual, and that a number of students are rejected in the initial housing rounds every year.

Rutledge and Myers, which were slated to close last year, but were instead kept open due to the large freshman class, will remain open to provide additional housing for the upcoming year.

“Fortunately this year like every other we will provide housing for all students who have a contract with us,” Lempfert said.

Now, students will have to tell Residential Life (ResLife) the hour during which they plan to leave campus for the summer. A Residential Advisor (RA) or Residential College Director (RCD) will come to their room at that time to pick up students’ room keys and to do a sweep of the room to make sure nothing is left behind.

ResLife may fine students who fail to list their departure times by April 22, although students will be able to change the times after the fact.

The plan may save students from the fees that ResLife charges for leaving a mess or trash in rooms after leaving.

Many students say that despite ResLife’s good intentions, the policy is inconvenient and stressful.

“I don’t like [the policy]. It seems like it has a lot of hoops. I just want to hand in my key when I’m ready to go,” junior Degian Ghebermicael said. “My flight’s usually right after my final exam, and I’m ready to leave and I’m rushing.”

ResLife employees hope to make the checkout process more efficient in an effort to turn rooms over to summer residents more quickly.

“We wanted to make it more streamlined for students. When [RAs and RCDs] are going around [to check rooms], we’re hoping students are gone when they say they’ll be gone,” Mary Elliott, the associate director of ResLife, said. She also pointed to the increasing popularity of summer programs as part of the reason the checkout process needs to be expedited.

In the old checkout process, students dropped their keys off at ResLife as they were leaving campus. RAs and RCDs did sweeps of the rooms on every floor and building after the residents left.

Some RAs are concerned about the policy, which requires that they check rooms throughout the days during finals week.

“When they introduced this to us there were some questions, but it was like, ‘so that’s putting a lot of pressure on us,’” one junior RA in the College of Arts & Sciences, who wished to remain anonymous because he is a ResLife employee, said about a meeting in which the policy was announced. “There was a sense of quiet outrage because it means we have to do a lot more work during the most hectic time of the school year.”

RAs were not consulted before the policy was announced to the student body.

Although many students think the policy is inconvenient, some do support the financial aspect of this policy.

“I think it will definitely give students a heads up for potential fees,” sophomore Vinoo Ganesh said.

Ghebermicael was concerned that even with the sweep, he would leave something in his room and be unable to get back in.

Elliott says that if students have delayed flights or other last minute changes, ResLife will be flexible. She advises students to contact their RCDs if such a circumstance occurs.

In Round 2 of this year’s housing lottery, less than half of approximately 90 four-person petitions were approved for housing. We believe that if the University wishes to continue promoting superior housing to potential students, it should work to remedy the serious gaps in its system.

As a response to so many students not getting housing, ResLife sent an email to Round 2 petitioners informing them that some would be offered housing in Rosedale and University Terrace (ResLife’s buildings farthest from campus) while others would enter round three for the South 40. Even though these students will still be housed by ResLife, these options are less than ideal, especially for rising juniors who had expected to live on the North Side and not be exposed to the potential dangers of living off campus or the hassle of commuting without a car.

This year, ResLife encouraged underclassmen to live in Village BLOCs, creating an increased interest in priority housing, but also leaving an abnormally low number of four-person suites available for Round 2 petitions.

Considering these developments, we urge ResLife to increase its awareness of the effects of its decisions and to prepare to remedy the problems it has created. Last year, Rutledge House was going to be shut down because of Clayton restrictions on the maximum number of beds on campus. Despite these plans, the dorm had to be reopened because of overenrollment of freshmen, who are required to live on campus. This problem will persist until the Class of 2014’s graduation, unless fewer students are admitted each year. Even if these complications were inadvertent, they are serious; before we experience a housing problem of unseen proportions, ResLife should work to solve the current one.

ResLife failed by giving students the perception that they can live wherever they want after freshman year. Its housing policies, including the three-round lottery system, need to be explained from the outset of the process, so that all undergraduates comprehend the housing options and are prepared to move to off-campus properties if they want to keep their group together. Increased transparency has the potential to erase most student frustration directed at the housing process. This transparency is unlikely to deter prospective students. Very few students choose their college based on housing alone.

Whether it is with the suggestions provided here or a creative fix yet to be devised is not important. ResLife should only continue to promote its housing options so long as they don’t create unrealistic expectations and unsustainable demand for their services. ResLife’s impractical presentation of housing availability annually creates frustration with the system. This is a problem that must be remedied. Unavailable on-campus housing cannot continue to be the status quo.

Washington University has set undergraduate tuition for the 2011-2012 academic year at $40,950, a 3.9 percent increase from the $39,400 tuition rate this academic year. Barbara Feiner, vice chancellor for finance, made the announcement in a news release on Thursday.

“Tuition is by far the largest source of revenue for all the schools on the Danforth Campus,” Feiner wrote in an e-mail to Student Life. “For the schools with undergraduate programs, tuition pays for more than 60% of the budget, with the remaining coming from gifts, spending from the endowment, research grants and some other minor sources. Many of the costs of providing a high-quality education and experience continue to rise.”

The required student health fee will jump to $410, and the maximum fee for comprehensive coverage will not exceed $632.

The tuition hike, however, is the lowest percentage rise in tuition in the past six years. Tuition rose by 4.2 percent last year and by 5.5 percent in 2006.

“We have worked to implement efficiencies and reduce administrative costs where possible so that the tuition increase is somewhat less than in prior years,” Feiner said.

Housing and meal fees will also rise by 4.9 percent and 4.4 percent respectively. The charge for a double-occupancy room for 2011-2012 will range from $8,374 to $9,264, compared to this year’s rate of $7,982 to $8,828, depending on whether students live in modern or traditional dormitories. On-campus meal plans, which currently cost between $3,498 and $4,788, will now range from $3,600 to $5000.

In a letter sent to parents, Provost Edward Macias attributed the 3.9 percent hike in tuition—down from 4.2 percent the previous year—to a recovering economy

“The national and global economy is beginning to show small signs of recovery and the University, like all of us, is optimistic of better days ahead. And yet, we are ever mindful that we must continue to plan carefully and prudently for the coming years. Most importantly, despite these difficult times, we must continue to strengthen the University and allow it to live up to the high standards that you and your sons and daughters have come to expect. We take that obligation extremely seriously.

We have seen some improvement in our endowment during the past year, but the overall value of the endowment and its income-producing potential is still significantly below where it stood in 2007-08. Nevertheless, throughout this difficult time, the University has placed the highest priority on the financial needs of our students and has once again increased funds that are available to help families that qualify for need-based financial aid,” Macias wrote.

The tuition increase will be considered when determining financial aid packages for students, according to Feiner.

Students were not surprised by the tuition increase.

“It makes sense to me given the economy right now…I guess they have to pay for everything somehow,” junior Don McCurdy said. “I’m lucky that I’m on financial aid to cover it.”

“Because the tuition is so expensive, I never live on campus,” said junior Sophia Cui, who transferred to the University from Bard College at Simon’s Rock.

Tuition will also rise between 3.8 and 4.2 percent for students pursing graduate and professional degrees.

Tuition for the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, the Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Design, and graduate programs in the School of Engineering will be $40,950 for the 2011-2012 academic year. The Graduate School of Art will raise tuition to $33,350, and the George Warren Brown School of Social Work tuition will be $32,760 for a Master of Social Work and $25,116 for a Master in Public Health. Tuition for the Olin Business School’s Master of Business Administration program will be $46,000.

The law and medical schools will announce tuition for the upcoming academic year in March.

The charge per credit hour will also increase in the University College and the Summer School in Arts & Sciences.

University College classes will now cost $585 per credit hour for undergraduates and between $585 and $765 for graduate students, up from $555 to $765 this year.

Summer school tuition is now set at $905 per undergraduate credit hour and $1,095 per graduate credit hour, increases from $865 and $1,030 respectively.

Burger and Estenssoro are participating in an 80-day trip across the United States with Bike and Build, a charity that raises money for organizations that improve affordable housing options across the U.S.

Starting on May 24 and ending on August 12, the juniors will bike from South Carolina to California, resting in churches, synagogues, schools and YMCA complexes along the way.

During specific “Build Days,” the riders will take time to help construct affordable housing. Bike and Build plans eight different trips each summer, with around 30 bikers per group, snaking along various routes throughout the U.S.

All riders must raise $4,000 in order to participate, as well as acquire the appropriate gear. Mostly by rallying relatives and family and writing letters, Estenssoro has raised $3,800 and Burger $3,000. Estenssoro gathered $400 by spending a day outside Schnuck’s with a can, asking for donations. Unfortunately, the store hasn’t allowed the juniors to gather money since then.

Organizations vie for some of the money gathered by the students, and Habitat for Humanity chapters are consistently listed as recipients, though Bike and Build is not officially affiliated with them. The allocation of some of the money, however, is left in the riders’ hands.

“I get to choose where a certain amount of my money goes,” said Burger. “I’m from Austin, Texas, so I’ll probably donate to the Austin, Texas chapter of Habitat for Humanity.”

Since its inception seven years ago, Bike and Build has raised more than $1.6 million for affordable housing and has heightened awareness about the need for affordable options across the U.S. According to 2008 data released by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, there is an extreme shortage of affordable housing to Extremely Low Income (ELI) renter households in the U.S., with only 6.1 million units available to a total of 9.4 million ELI renters.

“Finding affordable housing, it’s pretty bad, especially now with the economy,” said Burger, who recently contributed to a building project in St. Louis.

In addition to helping fight this problem, Bike and Build will give the engineers a chance to lay off the academics and, according to Estenssoro, have a “life-changing experience,” as opposed to a traditional summer internship.

“I hear it’s the greatest summer in your life,” said Estenssoro. “We’re really looking forward to it.”

If you would like to learn more about Bike and Build or donate to its cause, visit http://www.bikeandbuild.org/cms/index.php.

Proposed renderings of possible Wash. U. housing on the loop. The university recently sent out a survey to undergraduate students seeking their input on possible options for housing expansion. (Courtesy of Washington University)

As Washington University students prepare to make next year’s housing arrangements, the University is looking into possible options for housing expansion, specifically north of the Delmar Loop.

Dean James McLeod, the vice cancellor for students, sent students a questionnaire to gauge interest in the new housing possibility, and he said the administration is still researching different options. Although few would question the necessity of more University-owned housing for students, concerns about safety and the character of the neighborhood complicate this possibility.

Over the course of the last decade, the University has been redoing all of its housing for students, both on and off campus. The results of the remodel lead to the split between new and traditional dorms, as well as off-campus living options for upperclassmen, undergraduates and graduate students such as the Loop Lofts. The next step involves spreading into the community close to the school.

The survey sent to undergraduate students said, “WUSTL is considering the development of an attractive, vibrant, environmentally sustainable, safe and secure residential community for WUSTL Undergraduate Students and other residents.”

The possible new undergraduate home stretches from the neighborhood that begins on the north side of the Delmar Loop through Skinker Boulevard to North Campus on the east.

“We’ve purchased a significant number of buildings off campus,” McLeod said. “This is part of a larger effort to have excellent housing for students on or near campus. It’s not just north of Delmar; it’s also south of Delmar. We are looking at all areas where we have property already.”

One of the benefits of housing north of the Loop includes a 15-minute walk to campus, closer than housing options such as the Loop Lofts. But one of the reasons that Anna Studstill, a senior living her second year north of the Loop, chose to live in this area was the community that already existed there.

“Part of what I like about my building is that it’s not all students,” Studstill said. “It’s a mix. I like the diversity of having families and graduate students.”

But what Studstill said really drew her to the area was the cost. Once Residential Life starts setting rent prices, the cost could be affected as well. Apartments north of the Loop are cheaper than other traditional off-campus areas, like Waterman Court and the Kingsbury area. A two- or three-bedroom off-campus apartment in the ResLife system, like Greenway, costs $8,842 for the upcoming school year, according to the ResLife Web site, where some three bedroom apartments in the area considered for the new housing development cost $1,250 a month, which means only $5,000 per renter for the year. Some students have expressed worries that University-owned apartments would remove one of the few close, affordable options for off-campus living. Higher rents could affect more than just students. If the rent were raised and apartments were to become scarcer because of the University’s plans, families and other non-student residents might also feel the effects.

But community members should not be worried, McLeod said, as the University values the character of the communities surrounding the University, and has no current plans to buy up large amounts of property. The community is “a real asset” for the University, he said, making good neighbor status a top priority.

As for how the University plans to collect enough buildings to make a new complex, the administration says it is still too early in the process to say.

“I don’t know that there is an answer to that,” McLeod said. “There is no aggressive buying plan right now. That doesn’t rule out lots of different ways we could…trade buildings, we could purchase buildings.”

One issue that doesn’t seem to be affecting the situation is the security concern.

After a shooting on the Loop last fall, the assault of a graduate student over winter break, and other safety problems, students regard areas north of the Loop much as they would regard anywhere else off campus—a place where people have to be on their guard.

Security is an ongoing concern, according to McLeod, and it will be looked into. But as this applies to all off-campus housing, the area north of the Loop is not viewed as any less safe than other areas where students typically live.

More students are moving north of the Loop for reasons similar to those of Studstill, but also because they need somewhere to live. As class sizes grow, the University struggles to find places to house everyone, forcing many students off campus. New housing complexes may help avoid situations like that senior Aparna Misra found herself in two years ago.

“Because there were no more suites left on campus to suit our needs, we [my roommates and I] were not assigned to any on-campus housing,” Misra said. “And we went off campus to find a place to live.”

Although the University is, according to McLeod, looking into all areas where the University currently has holdings, the area north of the Loop is the only area about which student interest has been gauged.

Still, McLeod emphasized that the University is still conducting research and any new developments could still be a long way off. As it is still taking into consideration different concerns and options associated with housing north of the Loop, the University simply has not reached a conclusion yet.

(Erin Mitchell | Student Life)

February fills our calendars with the start of exams and heavier work loads; we remember influential African-Americans during Black History Month; and Valentine’s Day serves as a reminder to the couples about how very lucky they are while pushing the rest of us into a depression. In addition, there is one more element to this month that many Wash. U. students find particularly daunting.

February marks the beginning of the pandemonium that is the housing selection process at Wash. U. For those of you who have not experienced the insanity, I will try to paint a picture that might do it justice.

There are tears and fights, friendships are lost, and loyalties are tested.

Now I realize this resembles a byline for a bad movie, but bear with me and you might just appreciate the reality—it’s worse. The housing process is not unlike February itself in the way it creeps up, unexpectedly. Over winter break, a seemingly harmless postcard arrived at my home, only to be lost in the shuffle of bigger envelopes and holiday packages. It eventually found its place on my kitchen table basking in innocence and light from my ceiling fan. And it was there that I noticed its Wash. U. return address. I turned it over with no warning of what I would find on the back.

Housing Selection Begins Feb. 18, 2010.

The terror of last year’s housing selection process came back to me with all-too-poignant clarity. “Questions?” the card read. “Please contact Residential Life.” OK, Residential Life, can you answer me this? What if I want to live with Becca and Cary and Melissa, but Becca won’t live with Cary and Cary won’t live without me? Becca wants to live with me, Johanna, Rachel, Parker and Alex, but Johanna and Rachel won’t live with six people—what do I do? How do I tell Jamie that Laura doesn’t want to live with her, and how do I tell Laura not to worry because Jamie doesn’t want to live with her either? (It doesn’t mean we’re not friends anymore, Jamie, but thanks for being so mature about it.) What if my excuses run out? How do you respond to “It’s not you, it’s me,” or “You’re still my best friend, but I just couldn’t live with you”? What do I do with the non-committers, the over-committers and those who are in denial?

Until ResLife is ready to offer some advice of their own, here is mine.

Like everything else that tends to get blown out of proportion, deciding on living arrangements will only be as catty and dramatic as you make it. Becca will still be your friend if you choose to live with Cary, and no matter where you live, you are still going to make it to class on time, even if it means taking the campus circulator a little earlier.

The fight and tears will only make move-in day that much sweeter. It is then that you’ll realize that no matter with whom you live, your roommates will drive you crazy. It could be your best friend or a stranger, but at some point you will wish you had chosen the other suite, infamous plan B, your second option. Know this and trust that nothing can be perfect, but it will never be as bad as you think. Except for you, Rachel. I’m sorry, but you’re right. Your roommates really are from hell.

Alissa is a sophomore in Arts & Sciences. She can be reached via e-mail at arrotbla@artsci.wustl.edu.

Previously, gender-neutral housing was available only in the Village and Greenway.

The expansion comes in response to pressure by organizations such as Student Union and the Pride Alliance during the past few years.

“The Office of Residential Life aims to treat students as adults and encourages them to make well-thought-out decisions,” reads the application for gender-neutral housing.

The Student Union Senate passed a resolution in December 2008 urging the University to expand gender-neutral housing. The resolution includes information from a December 2006 survey, which found that 74 percent of students would consider gender-neutral housing if it were available to upperclassmen.

“This is an incredible step for the University in showing its support for students’ desires and students’ needs,” said senior Chase Sackett, the current speaker of the Senate and former Senate sponsor of the resolution. “I think it’s a testament to the role students play in these processes that make a difference in our lives on campus. I’m very excited the University has made this crucial decision, and I’m excited to see how it plays out next year.”

Students applying for gender-neutral housing must hand in their applications in person to ResLife instead of through WebSTAC. They can apply only in rounds 1 and 2.

Applicants must sign a gender-neutral housing agreement before they can apply, stating that they have considered the implications of gender-neutrality and have discussed their decision and received support from whoever is responsible for payment. The suites must also be filled for the entire academic year.

An estimated 30 colleges and universities across the country permit gender-neutral housing, according to the National Student Genderblind Campaign.

When marijuana was found in the house in December 2006, housing contracts for the individuals living in the house were cancelled. The fraternity (SAE) then lost its University recognition in July 2007 after being put on probation and exercising improper behavior at its formal. In December 2008, the Greek Life Office gave SAE permission to be fully recognized once again for the Spring 2009 semester.

Now, according to SAE president Garrett Schreiber, getting the house back is the next step in SAE’s recovery. SAE recently approached the University and expressed interest in receiving a house again.

According to Michael Hayes, the executive director of Campus Life, SAE wanted to know if the University would approve its request for on-campus housing.

They consequently have been in close contact trying to work out the details and ensure that SAE was doing everything it was supposed to be doing to obtain housing.

“We’ve been in contact with them over the past couple months figuring out if now would be a good time for them to come back in,” Hayes said.

SAE’s return to housing is not yet official, but according to Hayes, it is expected to occur soon.

“We’ve been talking with the alumni, the undergraduate chapter, and when all the t’s are cross[ed] and the i’s are dotted, we’ll make it an official announcement,” Hayes said. “But if everything continues going as good as it’s been going, that will clearly happen soon.”

SAE’s House Corporation sent a security deposit check to the Greek Life Office a few weeks ago. According to Schreiber, the Greek Life Office is just waiting for the contracts to be signed, and he was under the impression that SAE’s return to House 6 should be official within a week.

SAE’s president is very excited for their return to fraternity row.

“[House 6] was where our house always was and it’s…a goal that we had to get back on the Row,” Schreiber said.

Schreiber mentioned that a lot of work has gone into earning their spot back on fraternity row, and many of the older members have spent several years working to get their house back.

“We worked hard in the first semester to do philanthropy and community service and everything that a good fraternity should do,” Schreiber said.

SAE’s housing, like that of the other chapters, will be governed by the Interfraternity Council, and will not have any special conditions or rules.

Hayes mentioned that the University is glad that SAE is set to get its housing back.

“This is the next logical step [for the chapter], and we’re clearly excited for them and we want them to be successful,” Hayes said.

And it IS a situation. What happened to that grad student last month is not unusual. How many of your friends have been held up at gunpoint, stripped of their wallets, phones and wedding rings? But at least they have their education. The University needs to build off-campus housing for students who don’t/can’t live on campus. A great many universities (even STATE universities, Dr. Wrighton) have complexes and housing for grad students and upperclass undergraduates. So why don’t we? The one at Stanford is the size of a small city and even has its own bar.

Grad students, who make very little as it is, essentially have two options: Sign on with Quadrangle (and please, don’t sign on with Quadrangle!), or bag a Special Someone who has a real job and who has the monetary capital to make everything better. Undergraduates who choose to live off campus may have no options…That’s why the University needs to devote some of its cranes and hardhats and executive meetings to off-campus housing. Although the University may install more security cameras, offer more counseling, and get more carts to drive around the block, this problem will not go away. It’s time for plan B, which should have been plan A.