Hedrick Summit, Rieber Vista and Rieber Terrace are the three
new residential halls being built as part of the plan to house more
undergraduates, but four-year housing for all students is still a
ways off.
Construction on the new residential halls, which began in Spring
2003, is on schedule to be completed during the 2005-2006 school
year and will eventually provide housing for an additional 1,986
students.
The new buildings will allow the current two-year housing
guarantee for freshmen to be expanded to four years as part of
UCLA’s Housing Master Plan, said Michael Foraker, director of
UCLA Housing and Hospitality Services.
Transfer students, who currently do not receive any guaranteed
housing, will be provided with two years of on-campus housing.
Foraker added that students shouldn’t expect any of these
changes too soon.
“We haven’t implemented the four-year guarantee yet.
It’s a little early to predict, but it’s at least a
full year away, maybe two,” Foraker said.
Third- and fourth-year students who want to apply for housing
currently have to enter a lottery system to receive rooms not taken
by first- and second-years, and those applying who do not receive
housing on campus then have to search for places in Westwood to
live.
In addition to the three new residential halls, Rieber
Hall’s first floor is undergoing renovation that’s
scheduled to be completed by summer 2005 to incorporate new
entrances, a new front desk, and expanded student offices.
“The renovation of Rieber Hall first floor is part of the
Housing Master Plan that we chose to do after assessing the needs
of students,” said Suzanne Seplow, director of the Office of
Residential Life.
Rieber’s renovation will be similar to Hedrick Hall first
floor’s renovation, which was completed earlier this year,
Seplow added.
Various students, upon hearing about the new dormitories,
expressed interest in being able to live on campus after their
sophomore years.
“Being able to continue living in the dorms third and
fourth year would be a huge convenience compared to living in the
apartments,” said Tori Hettinger, a fourth-year art history
student.
Students living outside campus residence halls their third year
no longer have meal plans, have to walk longer distances to class,
and don’t have a maid to clean their restroom, Hettinger
said.
Despite the eventual benefits, not all students were
enthusiastic about the ongoing construction being done around their
sleeping quarters.
“I have to walk around a lot of construction since the
pathways are oftentimes blocked by vehicles and workers, and the
drilling can be a bit loud at times,” said Marielle Sallo, a
second-year mathematics student.
Some found that the Rieber renovation took away from public
space used for activities and social activities.
“The study lounges are filled with equipment and computers
now, and it’s inconvenient sometimes to not have a
lobby,” said Kenny Lin, a second-year psychobiology
student.
Students’ concerns are not going unheard and are being
considered by UCLA Housing and Hospitality Services staff, Foraker
said.
“We sit down with student leaders from the Office of
Residential Life to come up with programs to mitigate the
construction,” he said. ORL has held fairs and given away
free items in the past as compensation for the negative effects of
the construction.
Construction workers are putting forth efforts at making their
job less intrusive for students.
“We try not to work during the times students are walking
to and from class, and when we see a lot of people coming through
we stop,” said Shane O’Dell, a construction worker who
has been working at UCLA for the past seven years.