How will you spend your Thanksgiving break?
NYU recently launched a working group comprising faculty, staff and students that will examine how to improve student housing. According to its website, the group will study "current programs, policies, and living options," then submit suggestions based on its findings. It is similar to the new Quality Service Task Force, which also addresses improving student life.
The WSN Editorial Board applauds such visible efforts by the university to reach out to students and address some of the complaints students have. In light of the housing group's very recent launch, we will offer some suggestions that we think would improve the life of residents and encourage students to return to the housing system year after year.
Strict limitations on overnight guests (and guests in general), not being able to have outside furniture or candles in rooms, only being able to open windows a few inches, and dealing with troublesome roommates, to name a few, are some of the issues we think could easily be addressed.
On top of those concerns, NYU housing is extremely expensive. As with many things, the negatives slowly begin to outweigh the positives, and moving off-campus becomes more and more appealing the longer students are in housing. If the university wants students to remain in housing, the working group should consider fixing some of these inconveniences. Perhaps the overnight guest policy can be made to accommodate more overnight guests per month. The windows could be allowed to open more, and window guards could be put in place so more breeze can come through without sacrificing anyone's safety. There could be a more precise roommate- and suitemate-matching process, which would allow for more compatible roommate pairs. And most obviously, the university could consider methods to make housing more affordable for students.
But NYU housing isn't all bad. In a residence hall, there are no broker's fees, no stressful apartment hunting, no monthly electric/gas and cable/Internet bills to pay, no landlords to hassle with, and no deposit to put down and then fight to get back upon moving. But the group must focus on ensuring that the huge negatives don't outweigh the conveniences.
We do appreciate that the university appears to be forming these task forces to address student concern. But we hope these groups are able to deliver on their promises, and not just serve as ineffective, bureaucratic public relations machines.
