Spring Break
Dorm may not be renovated for class of 2013 midyears
by Miranda Neubauer
Senior Writer
News | 11/11/08
Posted online at 3:03 AM EST on 11/11/08
The Department of Residence Life is looking into alternatives for housing the midyear Class of 2013 amid concerns that the University budget won't be able to cover the usual renovations of a dorm for the midyear class, Co-director of Residence Life Jeremy Leiferman said.
"It seems that, at this point, the University is not able to commit funds to renovate the buildings next fall, so we're trying to [figure out] what we can do to accommodate that student group," he said.
However, Vice President for Campus Operations Mark Collins told the Justice in an e-mail that a decision has not yet been made regarding renovating a dorm for the 2013 midyear class.
He wrote that he was "not aware of any budgetary concerns" with regard to the 2013 midyear class. Collins wrote that his "assumption is that there will be space [in either a fully renovated dorm or another living space on campus] to house the midyear class."
Leiferman told the Justice in an e-mail that he discussed the information about the budget for renovations with his professional staff and a few student committees.
Collins wrote that he was not aware that any decisions had been made with regard to how the capital budget, which pays for renovations, will be used next year. "Having said that, I do know that the University needs significantly more work than the capital budget will be able to provide for. ... Therefore priorities will have to be set and only then would I be able to tell … whether or not a residence hall renovation was to happen," he wrote.
Leiferman said it is unlikely that the University will leave a building empty for the fall semester so that it is available for midyears in the spring.
Leiferman explained that keeping a dorm empty for the fall is impossible because "it becomes a loss of revenue for the University, [and] why would we allow an empty building to sit [as opposed to being occupied or renovated] while we're tripling up students in other buildings and overoccupying rooms when we have all these vacant spaces?"
"It seems that, at this point, the University is not able to commit funds to renovate the buildings next fall, so we're trying to [figure out] what we can do to accommodate that student group," he said.
However, Vice President for Campus Operations Mark Collins told the Justice in an e-mail that a decision has not yet been made regarding renovating a dorm for the 2013 midyear class.
He wrote that he was "not aware of any budgetary concerns" with regard to the 2013 midyear class. Collins wrote that his "assumption is that there will be space [in either a fully renovated dorm or another living space on campus] to house the midyear class."
Leiferman told the Justice in an e-mail that he discussed the information about the budget for renovations with his professional staff and a few student committees.
Collins wrote that he was not aware that any decisions had been made with regard to how the capital budget, which pays for renovations, will be used next year. "Having said that, I do know that the University needs significantly more work than the capital budget will be able to provide for. ... Therefore priorities will have to be set and only then would I be able to tell … whether or not a residence hall renovation was to happen," he wrote.
Leiferman said it is unlikely that the University will leave a building empty for the fall semester so that it is available for midyears in the spring.
Leiferman explained that keeping a dorm empty for the fall is impossible because "it becomes a loss of revenue for the University, [and] why would we allow an empty building to sit [as opposed to being occupied or renovated] while we're tripling up students in other buildings and overoccupying rooms when we have all these vacant spaces?"
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