Students slow to fill out housing surveys

Four days into the new online housing registration period, only 1,138 students have submitted their individual housing registration forms, fewer than the housing assignments office expected out of the approximately 4,000 students who need to register.

Bill Burig, assistant dean of student development, said that all students who will be enrolled at the University next year, regardless of whether or not they are entering the housing lottery, must complete an online housing form. "I was hoping more people would be done with it by now," he said.

Burig added that some students might not realize that they have to register online. Even students who are members of selective living groups, intend to live off campus or study abroad during the fall semester need to indicate their plans on a registration form; otherwise they will lose their $100 housing deposit and their four-year housing guarantee. In addition, if those who live away from campus during the fall semester do not complete a registration form, they will lose their housing priority if they wish to move back on campus, Burig said.

To make students aware of the importance of registering with the housing assignments office, Burig and his staff have launched an extensive advertising campaign. Burig's office recently distributed tent fliers to all of the tables in campus eateries, informing students of exactly who needs to register and at what times they should do so.

"We've already done one set of e-mails to eligible students who had not yet completed the housing survey," Burig added. He said that his office will continue to send such e-mails each night. E-mails will also be sent to block leaders, informing them of who within their blocks has not completed the individual form.

Burig said that despite the fact that relatively few students have completed their surveys, he does not intend to extend the deadline past 5 p.m. March 27 . "At this point we don't want to extend the deadline because that will impact the amount of time I have to process [the surveys]," he said. Burig added that he is committed to doing all he can to get lottery results back to students by the April 12 target date.

As of today, all students required to register-rising sophomores, rising juniors and rising seniors-are eligible to do so. After the March 27 deadline, students will be able to review their forms online on March 28 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Students wishing to make corrections to their surveys may do so at the housing assignments office in the Crowell Building on East Campus before 5 p.m. on March 28.