Housing changes inconvience students

By Jessica Alway

Up until last week freshmen Mike Harvey and Brian Hurd were looking forward to living in the newest residential building on campus, the freshly remodeled Alamedas South.

They liked the idea of having their own shower, sink and small kitchenette. But most of all, they wanted to live with the friends they made in their first year at Santa Clara.

Harvey and Hurd currently live as roommates in the Alpha RLC located in the Graham complex.

Under the university's statement regarding housing placement, the two should have first priority since they are both staying in the same RLC. But only a certain number of rooms were allocated to sophomores returning to Alpha and this number was not high enough, leaving Harvey and Hurd without a room.

"I thought RLCs were a great idea at first," said Harvey, recently elected Associated Students sophomore president. "They helped me get to know people and make friends that I thought I might eventually want to live with. But now the university is telling me I can't live with them. It just seems so ridiculous."

This is just one of the problems surfacing after recent changes to the RLC program. The university is extending the role RLCs play in housing to encompass sophomores next fall, making it a part of the placement of students within certain buildings.

In addition, two more learning communities will be added and the amount of faculty involvement will be increased as well.

The university plans to eventually broaden the program into four-year communities, expanding the number of campus residents from 50 to 75 percent of undergraduates.

Many students find such changes unsettling, however. Some, like Harvey and Hurd, are faced with the prospect of being without on-campus housing for next year.

Others balk at the idea of living in traditionally freshmen dorms like Swig and Graham two years in a row or grouping freshmen and sophomores in the same dorm.

"The university never really consulted the students before they made these decisions," said freshman senator Shaunda Brown. "A lot of people are very upset and frustrated. We think that freshmen and sophomores should not be living together."

Vice Provost, Philip "Boo" Riley, who spearheaded the RLC project in recent years, acknowledges that there are problems within the system.

"We are trying something new," he said. "Nobody expects it to be perfect or run smoothly from the get go. It is a work in progress. I do think the final outcome of a more integrated, social campus will be worth these small problems"

"[RLCs] share a common structure, including courses specific to each community, a variety of Despite attempts from the administration to get student feedback involved in the production and refinement of Residential Learning Communities, student participation regarding the issue has been practically non-existent.

Sociology professor Charles Powers hosted a forum Monday afternoon in Dunne Basement to discuss possible assessment strategies and opportunities for RLCs. Of all those in attendance, not one was a student.

Representatives from RLCs, Resident Director of Sobrato Barb Bloom, Presidential Fellow David Thompson and Vice Provost Boo Riley were among the collection of individuals who voiced their opinions about what could create a successful learning community. Those present at the forum agreed that in order for the RLCs to succeed students must be directly involved in the creation of the communities.

"We want to build a strong community within the halls, but we must also include the community at large," said Bloom. "This requires performance from outside campus as well as within."

Speaking on behalf of university students, David Thompson addressed the fact that the goals of the RLCs will not be met unless the RLC committee's involve students in the creation process. "All voices of the choir need to be heard regarding this issue," said Thompson.

Vice Provost Boo Riley said there is a "gap" between the institution of RLCs and the student community, but that certain procedures are being taken to remedy the situation. Quantitative data studies and surveys are intended to revise and improve the RLCs over time. As planned, a pilot program for assessing the RLC programs will be instituted by July 1, 2003.

Thompson challenged students to become more involved in their on-campus communities.

"Students need to take ownership of their education," Thompson said. "If they expect change, there needs to be dialogue."