Winter Housing Lottery Changed

The Winter Housing Lottery, the long-standing method of finding housing for returning students, incoming students and students who just want to switch rooms for Spring semester, is being changed. The old method, which entails students interested in Spring housing coming to the McCook auditorium and choosing their room by lottery number, while the staff of the Office of Residential Life constantly updates and posts a list of available rooms, will not be used.

Instead, students who have applied for housing for the Spring semester will be phoned at home by the Office of Residential Life in a process very much like the Summer Housing Lottery. When asked why the change in policy was implemented, Amy Howard, Director of Campus Life, responded that she thought the old approach to the winter lottery was inefficient, "It happened before Winter Break. There is no accurate list of rooms until break starts."

According to Howard, the new process will take place the first week of January. Residential Life will begin calling students in order of their lottery numbers and offering them room options based on their preferences and what is available. A letter will be sent home to those students who have requested housing during winter break, informing them of the days that Residential Life will be calling.

Howard added that students may phone the office telling the staff whether they will be at a friend's house, or in a different location, so that the office may call them there, or whether a parent or friend would be acting as a proxy if the student is unable to be reached. Students, however, do not find the new system as convenient as the Department of Residential Life does.

Beth Gilligan '01, studying in Scotland, commented, "The new system just adds to the frustration of students returning from abroad. Not only do we have to worry about class registration and settling back into campus, but now we're expected to sit by the phone during winter break so we can get decent housing." In regard to the number of rooms available, Howard also stated that nearly 110 students go abroad each semester. This semester there are about 90 returning from abroad and 20 coming back from required withdrawals, such as academic and disciplinary probation.

The final, accurate list of room vacancies will be completed after the students leave the campus for break.