New policy to affect increased number of freshmen in triples

The Office of Residential Life and Learning has changed the University's policy regarding freshman triples and spring housing lottery numbers this year.

The new policy dictates that only the student who moves out of a triple will receive an advantage point in the housing lottery in the spring -- will guarantees a student a high lottery number within their class tier.

Before this year, everyone who was placed in a freshmen triple would get an advantage point in the lottery, even if one student later moved out.

These triples are commonly known as "forced triples" because they result when Tufts does not have enough housing for a large incoming class. Freshmen living in these rooms live three to a room meant to be occupied by two.

The Office of Residential Life & Learning (Reslife) changed the policy because "last year, a significant amount of students didn't want to be broken up." ResLife Director Yolanda King said, "We want to encourage students to stay if they are happy in their rooms.

A letter was sent this summer to each student assigned to these triples explaining that they had been placed into it by ResLife's computer matching program and that the office would be making every effort to move them into a double.

Freshman Hannah Jones, who is from Kenya, did not find out about her triple until she got to Tufts on move-in day -- the letter did not arrive at her home before she left. "I had no idea I'd be in a triple," she said. "I was disappointed with the size of the room."

ResLife prefers to call these rooms "temporary triples" because "that's what they are really. Very few 'temporary triples' stay triples for the entire school year," King said.

Temporary or not, these rooms are cramped, even with bunked beds. "Well, obviously, it's pretty cluttered," said Jones, "there's no room to keep all our stuff."

"It's pretty hard to move around in our room," agreed freshmen Lindsey Williams, one of Jones' roommates.

At the very beginning of this semester, there were 27 "temporary triples," slightly more than the 24 last year. Three have already been "de-tripled", and, according to King, four more should be broken up within the next week.

The three dorms containing "temporary triples" this year are Carmichael, Miller and Hill Halls. Rooms are chosen for triples by square footage as well as consideration for total bathroom usage on the floor.

Size also affects the order in which triple rooms are reduced to normal capacity. The smallest of the rooms are detripled first. With minor exceptions, Reslife policy will be to break up Carmichael triples first, followed by Miller triples, with Hill triples, the most spacious of the three, scheduled to be detripled last. This order is not set in stone. "Obviously, we are always here to listen to individual concerns," King said.

Students are beginning to react to the policy change. "How are we supposed to decide who leaves?" asked Jones, "It's so hard. We all get along, we like everyone on our floor, we like each other, and no one wants to have to move."

"The issue of lottery numbers definitely complicates things," added Williams.

ResLife leaves it up to the students to decide which student moves out of a "temporary triple." "So far, we've had no problems with the move out," stressed King.

Sophomore Chris Eager and his two roommates chose to remain in their Hill triple last year. "We decided not to de-triple because the three of us were lucky enough to end up being really good friends," he said. Eager also cited the hassle of moving, potentially to a new part of campus, and having to meet and adjust to a new roommate as further reasons for staying in a triple.

Eager pointed out some of the negative aspects of triples, however. "Privacy is an issue," he said, "Unless your roommates have identical schedules, it's hard to get time alone."

"I think that anyone involved in a triple for a significant amount of time, maybe greater than two weeks, should get an advantage point in the lottery," he said.

Sophomore Ellen Kasson, who also had a "temporary triple" last year, agreed. "People in a triple are paying the same as people in a double next door. I think that everyone in a triple should be given a housing advantage, because everyone had to suffer through the triple. Maybe the person who moves should have a bigger advantage than those who stay."

Kasson's triple was broken up two months into the year, but "[ResLife] didn't want to give us our housing advantage because we had de-tripled," she said.

ResLife is currently working to breakup as many triples as they can as quickly as possible, but the office's ability to detriple depends on room vacancies. According to King, "it's a matter of musical chairs, with people shifting rooms."

Room vacancies open up when people leave the school or the dorms and also when people no-show on the first day. One reason for no shows is last minute waitlist acceptances at other schools.

King said that the average freshmen triple lasts through the first semester because second semester many students go abroad and a few may choose to leave Tufts, which will open some space. But she stressed that, like six rooms last year, some triples may choose to stay together.

It is ResLife's policy to not house freshmen with upperclassmen, but King says that if they cannot de-triple enough rooms, ResLife may consider it.

The current housing crunch may be alleviated by the construction of the new residence hall, Gordon Hall. Construction on Gordon was delayed this summer due to objections placed by the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission. The new dorm will house 150 students when it is completed.

For now, at least 20 rooms remain "temporary triples." "We still feel pretty uninformed about the whole thing," said Williams. "[ResLife] just keeps telling us 'go talk to your RA.'"

"They haven't really told us anything," Jones agreed.

King, however, acknowledges that the situation is difficult. "We are always open to feedback from students," she said. "We're trying something new this year with this policy. We think it can work out."