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The Rice Thresher
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by EMILY MEYER THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF The Masters Committee agreed last week to increase the number of on-campus beds for incoming freshmen, reversing a former decision to limit them, made four weeks ago in preparation for room draw. Committee Chair and Will Rice College Master Dale Sawyer said the group had agreed to limit the number of beds for incoming freshmen to 35 percent per college, because freshmen have occupied more than that in all colleges for the past three years. However, Sawyer said the number of beds initially reserved for freshmen was fewer than the Admission Office's projected number of incoming freshmen. "It appears to us that the number of incoming freshmen ... has been growing, and therefore we see that we are coming closer to the risk of having to bump more [upperclassmen] students off campus," Sawyer said. "I think there is kind of a clear understanding that the masters are very worried about increasing numbers of freshmen... and the way that that will affect life in the colleges." Sawyer said he asked the other masters to slightly increase the number of beds held for incoming freshmen aftger consulting with Vice President for Enrollment Ann Wright and Vice President for Student Affairs Zenaido Camacho. "[Wright, Camacho and I] believe with the additional beds allocated by the college masters ... that we can honestly make the statement that the university is committed to housing all of its incoming freshmen and students in the fall," he said. Wright said, "I think initially there was a sense that there wasn't going to be room. ... By being more understanding and more flexible about this, it looks as if there is not going to be any problem." She said the Admission Office's target number of 640 freshmen is the same as last year. "The freshmen number has come in high, I think, for three years in a row," she said. The target number has not been reduced to compensate because "we've always had a goal for freshmen and a goal for transfers that we wouldn't change under any circumstances because we need to keep the total number of students in the university consistent from year to year." She said the number of graduating students, not the availability of housing, determines the target number. The number of freshmen beds actually needed cannot be determined until the size of the class is final. According to Sawyer, the previous policy concerning beds that open up during the summer was to give the spots to extra freshmen. "As I understand it, the policy at this point will be that those rooms will come back to the college and that we will have the flexibility of how to use them. ... That would be a good thing from our perspective," he said. About these open spaces, Wright said, "In the past, those spaces have always been used to cover for freshmen. This year, that's negotiable. ... I think if we [in the Admission Office] absolutely need to have them, that they will be made available." - back - |
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