The Undergraduate Assembly passed a resolution last night advocating that freshman-centralized housing be available for all incoming students who select it.
The meeting centered on reworking the phrasing of the UA's initial proposal on the topic. The wording of the proposal passed last week was modified from "freshman recommended housing" so that the final resolution would call for "freshman-centralized housing."
The UA said the new wording would more accurately reflect its intention to offer incoming freshmen an informed choice regarding where to live during their first year of college.
"The word 'centralized' provides an indication that although we deem that freshman-centralized housing would enhance the freshman experience, we don't want to push for this program," said UA member Zach Rosenblum, who collected data for the resolution. "There is no recommendation, but the system would accommodate them should they choose to live there."
The UA members said that the proposal does not intend to direct freshmen toward one housing option instead of another.
"We don't want to make it seem that the only thing appealing [about the] freshman housing experience was living within the freshman-centralized housing system," said UA member Sean Walker, who co-authored the resolution with Rosenblum.
An initial proposal about freshman housing was submitted last week to the UA Steering Committee, which is composed of all the leaders of the major constituencies on campus.
All groups accepted the proposal with the exception of the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education, which did not agree with the "freshman recommended housing" wording. The group criticized the phrasing, arguing that it made the proposal's intent unclear.
While the discussion over the semantics of the proposal was deemed important in conveying the UA's intentions, the overall content of the resolution was not modified because of the rewording.
"The word changing only clarifies the proposal. It does not change it," UA Chairman Jason Levy said.
The proposal offers a guaranteed spot for incoming students in freshman-friendly dormitories, including Hill College House and the college houses in the Quadrangle.
The resolution proposes to add one or two more college houses to the freshman-centralized housing list.
Upperclassmen who wish to continue to live in one of these residences will be able to do so, according to UA members. The group concluded that the percentage of upperclassmen currently residing in these houses will not hinder the ability of freshman students to be assigned to a freshman-centralized residence.
Despite the time the UA spent discussing the word changes made to the final resolution, many students do not seem concerned with the specific wording of the resolution.
"I don't think the words would have much [of] an effect about where a student would live at all," College freshman Laura Amann said. "The kids who come in know which dorms are for freshmen and which aren't."
