Administrative Services makes changes to housing, including elimination of deposit

By Erin Brodbeck
Collegian Editor
February 13, 2008

In one of several changes to housing, this year Administrative Services eliminated the $200 deposit as a step in the application process in an effort to make this year’s housing registration run more smoothly. Now, students looking to live on campus next year only have to fill out the housing contract online to claim their spot in one of La Salle’s residence halls.

“It didn’t make sense to keep the old way because there were so many problems last year,” Director of Administrative Services Jeffrey Hershberger said.

Also, students who fill out group intention forms to live in the St. Miguel Townhouses, La Salle Apartments, St. Teresa Court or a quad in St. Basil Court or St. Katherine Hall will be notified of their acceptance right away, and will be able to select their unit a few days later. This year, for example, applications to live in the townhouses will be due by March 18. Eligible groups will have their selection meeting March 20.

“During the waiting period, students would always be calling us with questions, so we thought this would make it easier,” Hershberger said.

Applications for singles and doubles will take longer to get approved because there are so many of them, Hershberger said.

The changes to the housing selection process come after many students either forgot to pay the $200 deposit or didn’t fill out the online housing application last year. These students were forced onto the waiting list.

“I believe last year’s process was pretty straightforward,” Hershberger said. “But students have other things to do... there were a lot of oversights.”

Hershberger stressed that, although there is no longer the threat of losing $200 if a student decides to pull out of housing, the completed contract is still legally binding. By signing the occupancy agreement, available on La Salle’s Web site in .pdf form, a student is agreeing to live on campus and follow the rules. If a student ends up not returning to campus in the fall and hasn’t notified the school before May 31, there will be consequences. The vacant spot will be filled, and in some cases, the student will be charged with fees.   

Students are generally pleased to hear about the changes to the procedure. Senior criminal justice major Jamie Libonate experienced problems paying the deposit last year when the school wouldn’t accept her Visa card.   

“It would have been nice if they had changed the process last year,” Libonate said.   

Furthermore, students who forgot to submit housing applications last year are relieved that they won’t have to relive the nightmare.   

“Now I don’t have to worry about getting the money in,” junior accounting major Laura Martin said. “Last year was a mess, I forgot to submit online. This year I got an e-mail reminder.”   

Students can fill out the online application at any time, but forms must be completed by Feb. 29. According to Hershberger, the current number of completed applications is double the number they had at this time last year.   

Junior marketing major Erika Braun is one student who has already completed her application.   

“It’s easier,” she said. “There won’t be the confusion with housing that there was last year.”   

In addition to the changes administered to the selection process, some of North Dorms will be undergoing a makeover. In the fall, St. Katherine’s Hall will be air-conditioned and its lounges will have wireless Internet access. St. Bernard’s lounge will be renovated, air-conditioned and have wireless access as well.   

On the horizon is the implementation of Residential Learning Communities, which are meant to bring students with similar interests together in the dorms. For the past three years, Administrative Services has been asking students for proposals for an RLC, but nothing has been put into effect yet. According to Hershberger, one group has submitted a proposal, but he didn’t reveal any details because the proposal must still be reviewed.   

All of the new housing features this year are meant to make housing selection more user-friendly, Hershberger said.   

“We’re excited to see how the new process works out,” he said.   

Brodbecke1@lasalle.edu