2008 Woodie Awards
College Launches New Housing Reapplication Process
Kelsey Steele
Issue date: 4/14/06 Section: News
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Last Monday saw the close of the Housing Reapplication process, and now students anxiously await their assignments for next year. With several changes being made to the process, the Office of Student Affairs hopes that students have been able to get through the it without any headaches.
John Omolo, director of Residence Life, said the changes were made in order to make it easier on students. Unlike last year, when students were divided into sections based on bid number and assigned blocks of time in which they could apply, the process was open to all students from beginning to finish.
"This is a lot easier," Omolo said, "because we don't log you out and you can do it from anywhere," he said. "If you are abroad, you can do it at the same time as campus students, and you can communicate with roommates."
Omolo said he wanted feedback from students about the process to that Residence Life could gauge how well it was working.
"We're here to listen, and we're open to any suggestion that students have," he said.
Some students expressed concerns about the new changes made this year, such as the way off campus exemptions are being handled.
"The letters always state that exemptions are for one year," Dean of Students Cassy Bailey said.
Some students had problems with having to reapply for off-campus housing if they had already been granted the exemption the previous year. Also, some students were worried about being able to live off campus if their parents lived in Conway, which had previously been an automatic exemption.
"The presidential council was who got rid of that," Bailey said. "I think the problem was that people were saying they lived with their parents and not actually living at home. The College feels really strongly about the residential community."
Junior Laura Woodward said, "I had to reapply, and my parents had to send in their ID's again, and I had to meet with Dean Bailey, and send in a letter. I just don't see why I should have to go through the process again; it's too complicated."
"I really need to be fair and collect all the information before making decisions," Bailey said, pointing out that even though there are a lot of trustworthy applicants, it is important to ask the same of everyone.
Bailey said that after having gone through the process this year, she expects there might be changes next year which would make things go more smoothly for herself and for students.
"Maybe we could do the off campus exemptions prior to room applications, because doing it in tandem is confusing, and that's not what we want," she said.
John Omolo, director of Residence Life, said the changes were made in order to make it easier on students. Unlike last year, when students were divided into sections based on bid number and assigned blocks of time in which they could apply, the process was open to all students from beginning to finish.
"This is a lot easier," Omolo said, "because we don't log you out and you can do it from anywhere," he said. "If you are abroad, you can do it at the same time as campus students, and you can communicate with roommates."
Omolo said he wanted feedback from students about the process to that Residence Life could gauge how well it was working.
"We're here to listen, and we're open to any suggestion that students have," he said.
Some students expressed concerns about the new changes made this year, such as the way off campus exemptions are being handled.
"The letters always state that exemptions are for one year," Dean of Students Cassy Bailey said.
Some students had problems with having to reapply for off-campus housing if they had already been granted the exemption the previous year. Also, some students were worried about being able to live off campus if their parents lived in Conway, which had previously been an automatic exemption.
"The presidential council was who got rid of that," Bailey said. "I think the problem was that people were saying they lived with their parents and not actually living at home. The College feels really strongly about the residential community."
Junior Laura Woodward said, "I had to reapply, and my parents had to send in their ID's again, and I had to meet with Dean Bailey, and send in a letter. I just don't see why I should have to go through the process again; it's too complicated."
"I really need to be fair and collect all the information before making decisions," Bailey said, pointing out that even though there are a lot of trustworthy applicants, it is important to ask the same of everyone.
Bailey said that after having gone through the process this year, she expects there might be changes next year which would make things go more smoothly for herself and for students.
"Maybe we could do the off campus exemptions prior to room applications, because doing it in tandem is confusing, and that's not what we want," she said.