With the newest renovations to Stratton and Wren Halls coming to campus next fall, the housing landscape on the Hill is sure to be vastly different next year. As many welcome the proposed changes, we cannot help but hope they are only the beginning to a revised and revived strategy towards Tufts housing.
In that spirit, we suggest some guidelines and aspirations for the future of student housing. We believe that having as many students live on campus as possible will promote a thriving and sustainable atmosphere, maximizing the ability of all Tufts students to receive an education outside the classroom to complement the education received within it.
The most essential need for on-campus housing is the need for The Office of Residential Life and Learning (ORLL) to develop a long-term, public plan that outlines objectives for housing. One of the greatest deficiencies of the current housing atmosphere is the lack of an all-encompassing plan for housing's future on and off campus. By developing a plan that aspires to return as many as possible to campus dwellings, ORLL can nurture a "campus feel" that will focus students, foster on-campus events and create a university that lives around the clock.
Next, housing should be upgraded, as is feasible, to keep pace with other universities. Students likely spend more time in their residences than any other single place over the course of their college careers. Keeping up-to-date amenities not only respects students' needs but also creates a more rewarding college experience. Students certainly consider housing when selecting their university. It would be a shame if Tufts were to lose quality students to other universities because of deficiencies in on-campus housing. With a serious and thorough focus on upgraded housing, Tufts can stand apart from its peer institutions and draw students who might lean towards another university. Fortunately, the improvements to Wren and Stratton Halls are good first steps toward this goal.
To achieve that goal, the University must commit to funding necessary housing changes. Currently, $277 million of the Beyond Boundaries capital campaign is earmarked for facility improvements to the Medford/Somerville campus. While many of these funds are devoted to academic facilities such as improved laboratories, the administration should not forget the basic housing needs of its students. If this $277 million is devoted elsewhere, some additional, non-specified fundraising should be directed toward a fund for the construction and upgrading of campus housing.
However, the work needed regarding student housing goes beyond campus. The entire Tufts community should strive to make on-campus and off-campus housing competitive with each other. Currently, too many students feel forced off campus because suitable housing arrangements are not available on campus. While ORLL cannot be all things to all people, no student should ever feel forced off campus because facilities on campus are lacking. By making all housing options competitive and on the same appealing level, students will have greater option to ward off excessively over-priced off-campus housing. Only a viable on-campus alternative can create this dynamic.
As a service to students and parents, ORLL should become more open and less demonized on campus. ORLL has a tremendous customer service aspect. It is in the business of providing a service to thousands of students. This is certainly a daunting task. However, no matter how hard the challenge to meet Tufts' housing needs may be, ORLL must strive to be the most professional, open and customer-friendly organization possible. Successful corporations and organizations constantly look for challenges on the horizon and strive to improve continuously. From the largest changes to the smallest ones, any way to tweak ORLL to make it a more effective, accessible and student-friendly organization is for the better. A forward-thinking plan that ensures the happiness of its customers (current students) and potential investors (eventual alumni donors) can make ORLL an effective organization that pushes itself to be the best it can be.
But for all these relatively major changes, the most personal alterations may come from a focus on the little things. Prompt maintenance, small compromises, and quick and thorough answers about housing policies can be the hallmark of Tufts housing. Tufts is a proud university, and justifiably so. Its students and staff have every right to be just as proud of its on-campus residential system.
We recognize that this is a large issue that requires the entire Tufts community's efforts. The above suggestions certainly are not the last word on this topic and we invite everyone interested to submit questions, suggestions and comments to this discussion. Every member of the Tufts community who cares about the well-being of its thousands of current and future students should do his or her part to work toward these shared goals. The only way to improve the condition of housing at Tufts is to develop and act upon a well thought-out plan. It is time to set that plan into motion.
