Syracuse University is developing a comprehensive housing plan as part of its Campus Framework — a 20-year initiative crafted to guide future campus development. One objective highlighted in the plan is the relocation and expansion of undergraduate housing from South Campus to Main Campus.

In September, SU sent students an extensive survey with questions about student housing preferences, including meal plans, room layouts, parking, the cost of housing, the option to have pets and access to kitchens.

Toward the end of the survey, a question asked how likely students would be to support a three-year live-on policy if the on-campus residential experience was “transformed to meet the needs of contemporary college students.”

A three-year live-on policy would hinder students’ transition to adulthood and possibly financially burden students.

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The proposal sparked a considerable amount of backlash as many students believe this idea is absurd. And they’re right to.

Junior Sachi Cecchetto, who is currently in her second year as a resident assistant, said that she believes a three-year requirement could hinder students’ development of life skills.

“By requiring it for three years, it’s really limiting everyone because it potentially means that you can’t develop life skills that you may need, such as learning how to cook your own food, learning how to live on your own by yourself in an apartment,” Cecchetto said.

Sean O’Keefe, a university professor at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, said he believes students will learn how to deal with the complications of living on their own, no matter where they live — on or off campus — during their time at college.

“There’s a certain value to having learned that as an undergraduate at a university beforehand, but, clearly, whatever period of time that is — whether it’s a year or longer — you’re going to get plenty of more experience at it later,” O’Keefe said.

The fact remains, though, that students will become more prepared for life after college by experiencing first-hand snippets of adulthood during their time studying. Although they may learn later on how to deal with specific hardships and challenges in actual adulthood, the transition from college to career would be made much easier if they learned how to overcome such obstacles beforehand.

SU has not specified what types of housing the university would introduce “to meet the needs of contemporary college students” or what that housing would cost for students. But if the prices are comparable to those for current on-campus housing, a three-year housing requirement would also be financially inaccessible for many students.

Junior magazine journalist student Chandler Plante said she believes that a three-year live-on policy would be a financial burden to students.

“Not everyone can afford to live on campus all the time. Sometimes it’s a lot easier to be able to pay a cheaper rent off campus,” Plante said. “And also, to buy groceries for yourself, have a kitchen, have a fridge, not have to have the dining hall plan — those are really useful and inexpensive things that help struggling students get by.”

Off-campus housing near SU ranges in prices. For example, The Marshall is a higher-priced apartment building on Marshall Street. The Marshall charges $1,225 to $1,500 per month depending on the type of apartment. Rooms on campus can range from $3,460 to $6,070 per semester, which is about $865 to $1517 per month. And students pay an additional $3,720 to $4,635 per semester depending on the type of meal plan.

Those numbers are in sharp contrast to countless housing options, such as the University Area apartments, that charge as low as $525 per month depending on the type of apartment or house.

The financial implications of another mandatory year on campus could adversely affect student life. If it were in place, a three-year housing requirement would inhibit student growth and aggravate financial stress that already affects students struggling to afford a Syracuse University education.

Jenna Wirth is a sophomore magazine journalism major. Her column appears bi-weekly. She can be reached at jwirth@syr.edu. She can be followed on Twitter @jenna__wirth.

Published on October 20, 2019 at 11:45 pm