The completion of the Northeast Triangle Residence Hall in February 2016 will mean that sophomores will, by default, no longer be able to live in on-campus apartments, according to Executive Director of Student Housing Patrick Killilee.
“It will be by de facto because more juniors will get housing eligibility,” said Killilee. “They will select apartments over traditional residence halls.” The University expects the Northeast Triangle to be a residence primarily for sophomore students.
Georgetown University Student Association President Trevor Tezel (SFS ‘15) agreed with Killilee’s prediction. “The reality is that in a number of years virtually all sophomores will be living in dorms or suite style living accommodations,” Tezel said.
When asked about Killilee’s statement, Director of Residential Life Stephanie Lynch expressed doubts about whether or not any sort of restriction on sophomores will be brought forth. “At this point, it’s too early to say,” she said.
Whether or not third-year students will face an on-campus housing requirement also remains to be decided. The University announced that they are considering either a housing requirement or guarantee for third-year students in a post on the Master Planning blog on March 4.
Both a third-year requirement or guarantee would automatically grant housing eligibility to all juniors. Tezel and GUSA Vice President Omika Jikaria (SFS ‘15) said that they support a guarantee but oppose a requirement.
Tezel also said that it is possible that the University is considering instituting a third-year housing requirement by mandating six semesters of on-campus housing.
“A six-semester requirement is something that has been brought up in conversation in the past,” Tezel said. “It was brought up in a conversation [on Tuesday] between our deputy chief of staff Megan Murday [SFS ‘15] and Stephanie Lynch.”
By Tezel and Jikaria’s understanding of the six-semester requirement, there is a possibility that transfer students or students who study abroad for a full year would not be eligible to live off-campus for either their junior or senior years. “We feel like this is a policy that would be unfair,” Tezel said.
Tezel was also critical of the manner in which the administration is handling discussions with students on the third-year housing requirement. The University has, up until now, presented the proposal exclusively in small focus group forums. Tezel believes that the discussion should include the entire campus community, not just focus groups.
Lynch responded by saying that specific details on a third-year housing policy will be determined after administrators make a decision on whether or not to implement a policy. According to Lynch, this decision will be made before the end of the academic year.
“Study abroad would certainly be factored into the policy and we are actively exploring how study abroad students and transfer students might fall under this policy,” she wrote in an email to the Voice. “The details of a requirement or a guarantee are by no means final. Once a final decision is made on the question of guarantee or requirement, we will talk with students about how implementation occurs.”
