Housing lottery numbers to be released before Winter Break

After discussion about the possibility of releasing housing lottery numbers as early as Thanksgiving break, the Office of Residential Life and Learning (ResLife) says that it now plans to release the numbers by Winter Break.

Historically, lottery numbers have been distributed in the spring before students must select housing for the next year. The decision to move the release date to the fall semester instead of the spring, as in past years, is intended to help students who might be forced off campus to make housing plans for next year.

Last year, Res Life tried to release lottery numbers early, but technical difficulties delayed the release for several months. This year, Res Life has made the early release of lottery numbers a priority, and a according to Dean of Students Bruce Reitman, the office will most likely meet its goal of releasing numbers this semester. The process is "miles ahead of where we were last year," even though getting numbers earlier means less accuracy. "It'll give people an approximate idea," Reitman said, although ResLife would stipulate that changes in enrollment could still affect the numbering.

"They're working very hard at it and trying to get everyone to focus on just how important it feels to the kids," said Lorraine Toppi, the assistant director of Res Life.

The results of an online survey which attempted to gauge the demand of rising seniors for on-campus housing will be released at the same time as the lottery numbers.

The survey was conducted by the Dean of Students office in response to last year's high demand for on-campus housing for seniors. It asked students whether, if given a decent lottery number and a good choice of rooms on campus, they would seek on-campus housing for next year.

The results of the survey will provide rising juniors with a better idea of their chances of obtaining on-campus housing next year, Reitman said. Once Res Life has determined the level of interest of the Class of 2004 in living on-campus, the office will be able to provide a more accurate estimate of the number of rooms available to the Class of 2005.

The survey will provide a more accurate estimate of housing availability for rising juniors than in past years, said Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senator Josh Belkin, a member of the Housing Student-Faculty Committee. Previously, estimates have been based on "nothing more than a historical trend, because every year the situation is different," he said.

Students will be able to "anticipate whether the popularity of living on campus is going to continue to grow" based on the survey's results, Reitman said. "If that's the case, it's going to be as tight for the juniors," he said. "If that's not the case, we want everybody to know the information as soon as possible because it affects their planning and their options."

Some students, such as sophomore Natalie Levy, are hesitant to rely on early release of lottery numbers and have begun to think about living off campus. "But were they to come out early, it would definitely make me know how seriously to consider off-campus housing for next year," Levy said.

An increase in rising seniors wanting to live on campus caused this year's housing shortage for juniors, Reitman said. "The problem was not that we had more people than before, it was just a shift that was not anticipated by anybody," he said.

Current seniors occupy 250 more beds than the previous senior class, leaving only 70 of 1,200 juniors with on-campus housing, Belkin said.

The increase in seniors seeking on-campus residences has primarily been attributed to rising costs for off-campus housing, and students who do not get on-campus housing are sometimes forced to consider other options.

"I know people who are going away for a year just because they can't afford housing off campus," Levy said. "I don't think that should be the motivation for spending a year abroad."

Rising juniors who plan to study abroad during spring 2004 may have trouble finding housing for the fall semester, Reitman said, because more students study abroad in the spring than in the fall. "It's going to be easier to find campus housing in the spring than it is in the fall, so it would be probably to be everyone's advantage to study abroad in the fall," Reitman said.