By David Edward Clark

ResEd is enacting a new standing policy insuring that 10% of Oberlin’s students will live off campus, starting with the 2010-2011 school year. Assuming enrollment stays at a steady 2,850 students, 285 students will live off campus next year.

The College was aware of students’ fears regarding a change in off campus living. “ResEd was very concerned this year that with the new residence hall opening for fall of 2010 that that would mean there would be quite a significant drop in the number of students who would live off campus,” said Molly Tyson, Dean of ResEd.

While off campus housing is still being reduced, the policy mitigates the new dorm’s threat to off campus housing. ResEd’s old formula (expected enrollment – beds on campus = number of off campus students), would have reduced off campus living by 150 students, so around 200 students would have lived off campus.

ResEd hopes that this new policy will stabilize the number of students living off campus from year to year, as well as provide a more reliable number for ResEd to use. “In the past…all three numbers [in the old formula] ended up being guesses, because anticipated enrollment and capacity were estimates, and then you ended up with an estimated number of students living off campus,” said Molly. On top of that, the numbers “continually changed throughout the course of the process.”

The new policy will also give ResEd more flexibility with housing situations. With 10% of students off campus, ResEd hopes to create more super singles, because they will not be required to fill every possible bed.

Rising seniors can expect about a one in five chance of getting off campus status. This ballpark estimate takes into account the number of students with seven or more semesters in residence who are given housing priority over those with six semesters. Semesters in residence includes semesters spent on campus, as well as on approved academic programs such as studying abroad. Personal and medical leaves do not count towards one’s semesters in residence.

ResEd has also done away with the politics inherent to the old system’s group formation process. Students will no longer be assigned individual lottery numbers, which led to students considering roommates based on number rather than friendship. Now, students will register to live off campus either individually or as a group. After registering, individuals and groups will be entered into the same random lottery. Because groups of students will have a single lottery number, students will not choose whom to live with due to these numbers. This will insure that there will be no preference among students with six semesters. To keep the field level, students with seven or more semesters in residence must enter the process as an individual.

Tonight from 7:30-9:00 in Wilder Main, students will be given the opportunity to learn more about the off campus selection process and what it is like to live off campus. Upon entering, students will be entered into a raffle, and 10 students will receive $20 in flex points. Students can also vie for the grand prizes by visiting tables that will provide information on city resources, landlords and current off campus experiences. One grand prize is a 5-7 meal board plan for a semester and the other is an automatic off campus status for an individual. Students must be present at the drawing to win the flex points, to win the grand prizes students do not need to be present but must complete a passport by visiting tables.