Change to care about

As we've all probably heard by now, EMU is considering the possibility of requiring students to live on campus for all four years.

Last week, Housing and Residence Life sent out an online survey on the possible requirement to all undergraduate students. The survey was comprised of statements, to which students gave a rating from one to five according to how strongly they agreed or disagreed, on whether on-campus housing should be required all four years, whether there would be more student involvement in campus life and activities if it were required, and whether having juniors and seniors on campus would be more fun. The first statement had an overwhelming 76% disagree; the second, 44%; and the third, 57%. These numbers say a lot about student opinion of the requirement and about the effects the university may encounter if it were to implement the change. Tuesday night's discussion in Common Grounds with Ellen Miller and Ken L. Nafziger gave voice to the variety of concerns that students have about the possible requirement.

One reason some students can afford EMU is because they have the option of living more cheaply off campus once they are 21 years old or seniors. Required four-year on-campus housing could turn students away because of financial issues. Having more Martin House-type residences open to students would provide more affordable options, but those choices are at this point unavailable.

There is currently not enough space to hold all undergraduate students. Changes and upgrades would need to be made before such a requirement were put into place. One survey question asked what style of housing we would prefer if we had to live on campus. Apartment-style housing such as Hillside or Parkwoods received 76% and Martin House-style housing received 20%, leaving the traditional dorms with only 3% of the vote. So if the change were to be implemented with the school responding to students' desired housing options, money would need to be spent on both renovations and new buildings.

Would students really be more involved if required to live on campus all four years? If people want to get involved, they will make the effort to do so, whether they are living on or off campus. True, it may be easier to be a part of campus activities if you are living on campus, but effort determines involvement more than location does.

Along with student involvement goes the idea that campus would be "more fun" if juniors and seniors were around. Juniors and seniors currently living in Hillside or Parkwoods don't always take the time to go visit or hang out with underclassmen living in the Woods dorm or in Northlawn, so that wouldn't necessarily change if on-campus housing were to be required all four years.

We all have concerns about four-year housing becoming a requirement, though the changes will not directly affect any current students. Current students would be grandfathered out of the changes, but we should still be aware of and care about this not-so-distant possibility. It would affect younger siblings that may come to EMU, or friends we have in younger classes. Say you and a group of friends wanted to get a house off-campus together--some may be able to, but some friends may be younger and have been required to live on campus once the change was implemented.

Requiring students to live on campus all four years is a controversial issue with ties to the prioritization process that EMU is facing. Though a change wouldn't have a direct impact on us, it's still important that we voice our opinions and speak out for future students of our university.