The University is attacking the problem of not having enough room in residence halls by updating a plan created last year, in which a new hall would be built in the six pack.

The plan adds 502 beds and a student dining and residential program building, a 24-hour facility including a cafeteria with late night dining and a new library area.

However, neither building is scheduled for completion until the Fall 2009 semester, which does little to help solve the current housing problem, and will do almost nothing to alleviate the long term problems of inadequate capacity in the University Residence Hall system.

Each year, larger incoming classes of freshman are faced with the scramble to find housing on campus. Some students are forced at the last minute into more expensive certified private housing, but even more are left with no recourse other than the nightmare of temporary housing – living in lounges and other public spaces until beds open up in the residence halls.

There are simply too many students to accommodate. And while the proposed plan may temporarily alleviate housing conditions three years from now, it is putting a Band-Aid on an eight-inch gash.

To say that the University’s budget is tight would be a gross understatement. The truth is that we need a large number of freshman on campus for their tuition dollars. Lowering freshman enrollment to ease housing issues is not feasible, but neither is ignoring the lack of living spaces in the residence halls.

Still, the University has options that it needs to consider.

The proposed building that will replace the vacant Illini Orange structure stands four floors tall in the future blue plans, and measures 132,000 square feet – which does not seem to be enough to meet the growing demand for University housing. While other residence halls like ISR and FAR may resemble inner city projects, they also house a lot of people because there are more floors. The new building should follow suit.

Architects for the new building are also considering incorporating a number of singles into the new facility – a move that creates considerable waste of space and resources. Resident advisors are maintained only through the promise of freedom that comes with a single room, and many students with disabilities need the extra space. However, a student who has problems with roommates cannot be allowed to take the space of two if we are to fix the housing crisis on campus. Learning to compromise in a dorm setting is one of the most important lessons freshmen can learn. While a sardine-like atmosphere for the residence halls built only for efficiency are loathsome, such a building would probably be a better alternative for everyone as opposed to tuition increases for everyone or resorting to temporary housing or more expensive alternatives like the Illini Tower.

And although the high retention of sophomores and juniors in the residence halls is a positive indicator of the quality of life in the residence halls, it is now a necessity to force the upperclassmen into apartments or other off-campus housing to ensure that as many freshmen will fill up the halls. Freshmen benefit from the exposure to the wide variety of new people they encounter in the residence halls – allowing freshmen access to off-campus housing is a disservice to them.

But the best solution, if the University wants to continue to admit more freshmen, is to make enough room for them. Though initial investment may be steep, the long term financial benefits of constructing larger facilities and planning for long term enrollment growth is worth it.

Our opinion

Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Daily Illini Editorial Board, whose members are Acton H. Gorton, editor in chief; Jason Koch, managing editor for reporting and writing; Shira Weissman, managing editor for presentation and visuals; Chuck Prochaska, opinions page editor; Jenette Sturges, deputy opinions page editor; Vasanth Sridharan, campus news editor; Nick Escobar, city-state news editor.

Questions? Contact Opinions Page Editor Jenette Sturges at (217) 337-8340 or opinions@

dailyillini.com or Editor in Chief Se Young Lee at (217) 337-8365 or [email protected].