RHA votes to condemn subsidizing grad housing with undergrad fees

In an effort to provide more available housing options for graduate students, officials have proposed appropriating undergraduate housing fees to fund such future projects — a resolution the RHA body overwhelmingly condemned at the body's meeting last night.

Residence Hall Association senators voted 30-2-10 to discourage such an action, saying the use of undergraduate housing fees to subsidize graduate housing projects would cause a delay in improvements needed in on-campus dorms and could increase student housing fees.

"I just feel it is inappropriate for undergraduates to be supporting graduate housing, when there are clear improvements that still need to be made to our residence halls," RHA President Corie Stretton, author of the resolution, said in an interview. "[Affordable graduate housing] is an issue that needs to be addressed, but I don't think using undergraduate funds are the right way to go about that."

At a Graduate Student Government meeting in September, university President Wallace Loh voiced his support for creating more affordable graduate student housing, even if it means using funds unintended for undergraduate students. South Campus Commons residents pay $767 for a four-bedroom, four-person unit, whereas residents of Graduate Hills and Graduate Gardens — two of the most popular graduate student complexes — pay $1,262 for a two-bedroom, four-person apartment.

"We are absolutely committed to having affordable and high quality graduate housing on this campus, and it will have to be subsidized," Loh said at the GSG's September meeting.

The undergraduate housing fees in question are the funds the university receives from Capstone Management — which oversees South Campus Commons and The Courtyards — for operating an apartment complex on university property. These funds are currently used for general dorm upkeep, such as furniture replacement and preventative maintenance, according to Stretton.

"When fees are paid with the expectation of being used for something in particular, they should be used for only that," junior chemical engineering major Amy Nutis said.

While Resident Life Director Deb Grandner said though she understands the need for the university to fund more graduate student housing, doing so with undergraduate funds would be unfair.

"We have a longstanding commitment to undergraduate students to use reserve funds to maintain the viability of our residence halls, primarily the much-needed facility renewal of our buildings," she said. "As a self-supported operation, our undergraduate housing program has always been fully responsible for the operation and long-term sustainability of our undergraduate residence halls."

According to the resolution presented at last night's meeting, the postponement of future improvements to undergraduate dorms because of a lack of available funds "could result in an increase in housing fees, thus making it more difficult for students to afford living on campus."

While Bedford admitted she had not heard of the plan to use undergraduate funds for graduate projects, she said it is still a prevalent problem.

"It's sad because it pits student populations against each other," she said. "Really what we need is a commitment to make graduate life affordable — be it subsidized graduate student housing or increases in grad student stipends so that we can afford the market rates in the area."

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