Now that this year's controversial housing selection has come to an end, housing officials and students are gearing up for the reassignment process, in which students can request to be moved from their designated rooms.
This year's process will work as it has in the past, said Assistant Dean of Student Development Bill Burig, but fewer students will actually be reassigned.
"This is due to the fact that there should be fewer cancellations," Burig wrote in an e-mail, noting the University's new policy that prohibits students from voiding their contracts. "Remember that there is a no-contract-cancellation policy for students and that we asked students applying for study abroad programs to not choose a room."
In the past, housing officials permitted students to cancel their housing contracts after selecting rooms. But that meant that fewer students could select rooms on West during room picks, Burig said. Students who request reassignment will not be moved from their current designations before receiving another room, he said.
He added that students can be as specific as they want in their requests and that although they can choose rooms anywhere on campus, rising sophomores will be limited to West.
Freshman Megan Marshall and her blockmates plan to apply for reassignment and request bigger rooms.
"We're in two triples right now, but the other room is currently a double," she said. "We're in Kilgo [Quadrangle], which is a really nice location, but the rooms are just too small to be triples."
The process will also allow sophomores to request housing with upperclassmen, something they were not permitted to do during regular room picks. Burig said officials had wanted to make sure students did not manipulate the process.
In the past, Burig said, most requests have been based on room size, specific location or proximity to friends. He said he has not determined a trend for this year's reassignment and that officials will accept requests until the end of the academic year via letter or e-mail.
Evaluation of the requests will occur in two rounds--during the first week of June and in early August. Officials will only contact students, through writing, if their request has been granted.
Sophomore Allison Hill, who asked for a double room 170 square feet or larger, said she had hoped officials would be able to tell her the probability of securing her request.
"It would be helpful if they gave us an idea of what our chances were," she said.
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