By Elise Schoening
Features Editor
Every week, Features Editor Elise Schoening hits the archives and finds old Signals that relate to current College topics and top stories.
Students of the College submitted their housing applications last week and will soon be hearing back with their time slots. The College currently has a policy ensuring that freshmen and returning sophomore students are guaranteed on-campus housing, according to its website. This policy was cleared up in the spring of 1995 after some campus-wide confusion.
A discrepancy revolving around the number of credits needed for a student to be eligible for on-campus housing was discussed at the SGA meeting and has since resulted in a temporary change in housing policy.
Also, an SGA committee announced that it is working with Health Services to prevent students from encountering future problems with registration due to hold flags.
A memorandum from Kyle O. Johnson, acting manager of Residence & Dining Services, states: “In an attempt to remain consistent with the registration process, the 1995-96 lottery process will incorporate the ASTRO credit/year status breakdown.”
According to the “Detail of Housing Lottery Process” in students’ lottery packets, a student would need 64 credits to be considered a junior. Now, according to Johnson’s letter, the number has been changed to 60 credits to coincide with registrar’s office. The amount of credits needed for each of the other years has also been adjusted.
Laura Rudowki, a Residence Hall Association (RHA) representative, said the housing policy is “rewarding” students for taking fewer credits, because some junior students could be considered sophomores by completing less course work and thus could qualify for an additional year of guaranteed housing.
Michelle Hughes-Gray, vice president for Community Relations, said some students enter Trenton State with many advanced placement (AP) credits from high school and that these students might not be guaranteed housing by their second year because by their second year because they would have too many credits.
Hughes-Gray said her committee would like to see a campus-wide standard adopted. She said there also does not seem to be a standard among academic apartments.
“Are you guaranteed housing for two years, or are you guaranteed your freshman and sophomore years?” Veronica Gonzalez, senator-at-large and parliamentarian, asked.
Johnson’s letter states that “full-time students admitted to the college for the first time are guaranteed on-campus housing for two academic years.” A student who is entering his/her third year but has earned or attempted under 60 credits is considered a second-year student but is not guaranteed housing.
