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E D I T O R I A L L Y

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Friday, August 5, 2011 Issue 19

Vol. 117

I N D E P E N D E N T

S T U D E N T

PUBLISHED SINCE 1906

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http://utdailybeacon.com N E W S P A P E R

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T H E

U N I V E R S I T Y

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T E N N E S S E E

Cost of UT housing continues to increase the University of Kentucky and the University of Alabama all cost more in their average university housing. But the University of Georgia, University of South Carolina, University of Florida, University of Arkansas, Auburn University and University of Mississippi all cost less in average university housing. In particular, the cost of an air-conditioned double room at Mississippi is the

in the University Housing operation,” Stoner said. “That department is considered an auxiliary, and as such, must News and Student Life Editor generate sufficient revenues from rental rates, summer camps and conferences to cover all expenditures, includAs tuition and fees continue to rise every year, other ing operational costs, renovations, new construction and costs associated with university life, like cost of UT housamortization of bonded indebtedness.” ing, continue to rise as well. The rises in rates, Stoner said, were to cover specific Frank Cuevas, university housing executive director, needs. said the cost to live in a UT dorm or apartment “Increases in rental rates in recent years raised between $144 and $183 per semester have been to cover inflationary costs and to from last year, depending on which place a stucover bonds incurred for renovations and to dent lives. upgrade life safety systems,” Stoner said. “For The Apartment Residence Hall, Clement Hall, example, all halls now have fire suppression Gibbs Hall, Hess Hall and Morrill Hall went up sprinklers.” from $2,336 per semester for the 2010-2011 acaIn terms of raising revenue with camps, condemic year to $2,500 per semester for a double ferences or other means, Stoner said all the room for the upcoming 2011-2012 academic housing locations were utilized in summer year, he said. 2011. The cost to live in Humes Hall, Reese Hall, “The Apartment Residence Hall was closed North Carrick Hall, South Carrick Hall and for the second summer session to complete Massey Hall went up from $2,244 to $2,401 per scheduled maintenance, such as painting, tile semester for a double room. grout cleaning, et cetera,” he said. Laurel Hall went up from $2,401 per semesStudents who were freshmen in 2006 or ter to $2,545 for a two-person room with a 2007 remember a time when UT did not count shared bathroom, and Volunteer Hall went up Volunteer Hall or Laurel Hall among its resifrom $3,044 to $3,227 per semester for a fourdence halls and did count Greve Hall and person private bedroom and shared bath or a Melrose Hall. three-person private bedroom and shared bath. Future changes are on the horizon for uniKen Stoner, associate vice chancellor for stuversity housing, Stoner said. dent affairs, explained the differences between “An architectural firm has been retained to the housing locations in terms of pricing. design a new facility on Andy Holt Avenue, “Every effort is made for each facility to stand between Melrose Avenue and Francis Street,” alone, with revenues collected from that facility he said. “Also the university acquired established to cover the expenses of the buildVolunteer Condos — a small facility with six ing,” Stoner said. “Occupancy, bonded indebtedapartment units — located on 22nd Street. ness, utility costs and operational expenses all These apartments will be operated as student figure into the establishing of rates for each and guest housing.” building. In addition, an effort is made to set Aeron Glover, co-founder of comparable rates for comparable facilities.” http://www.howstheliving.com, a website that Comparing UT housing rates for 2011-2012 allows students to rate housing similar to how with those for the 2008-2009 academic year http://www.ratemyprofessor.com grades proshows the effect of a continued rise over years. fessors, said students want to collaborate more Apartments like North Carrick Hall cost directly with UT housing. $1,785 per semester in 2008-2009, a difference “They like to view ratings, but they also of about $600 per semester from the current File Photo • The Daily Beacon would like to address housing directly with rate. Vol Hall appears quiet on a dreary afternoon on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2010. But Stoner said, according to a 2010-2011 Prices for student living have risen greatly since the previous year, but stu- not only problems but also things they’re survey of housing rates for air-conditioned dou- dent demand for those places have stayed high, forcing the university to doing well, so that they can build on this,” Glover said. ble rooms among 23 universities, UT sits in the repurpose study areas to make room for the overflow. Based on student feedback to the site, middle of the pack at 12th place, in terms of Glover also said students want “a better way cost, with $4,580 per year for an air-conditioned double lowest of those surveyed — $3,900 per year. to communicate residence hall events,” “a centralized room. Stoner also said the rises in university housing cost place where they can view events for their residence halls Of those surveyed, Vanderbilt University costs the most — $8,528 per year. Other SEC schools like had nothing to do with dwindling state appropriations or and other residence halls on campus,” “photos of rooms, generated by students” and “more details about meal Louisiana State University, Mississippi State University, the university’s current budget crisis. “There are no state- or university-appropriated monies plans before arriving to UT.”

Robby O’Daniel

Division to focus on student success Blair Kuykendall Editor-in-Chief UT’s new Division of Student Life will serve the campus community, replacing the old Division of Student Affairs with fresh ideas and a clearer focus. Recently the Division of Student Affairs experienced a series of changes that will make its various departments more responsive to campus needs. Specifically, faculty in the department used student feedback to refocus the department’s goals. The majority of these changes are in keeping with the aims of UT’s top 25 initiative. “During fall and spring terms, the former division of student affairs engaged in an indepth strategic planning process,” Melissa Shivers, assistant vice chancellor for student life, said in a statement. “This process allowed us to conduct 13 to 15 focus groups with students, faculty, staff, alumni and parents to gain a sense of their understanding of the work of student affairs. It was through this process that we gleaned a wealth of information that we will utilize to help enhance our focus and goals for the next five years.” This research process helped the Division of Student Life determine which means are most effective for reaching students. Results of the survey process proved critical in planning the reorganization. Faculty involved in this area of the university place a top priority on enhancing the student experience outside of the classroom. “We feel that the Division of Student Life better represents the mission of our collective departments — improving student life at UT,” Timothy Rogers, vice chancellor for student life, said in a statement. “Students spend 85 percent of their time outside the classroom, and each department housed in the Division of Student Life provides programs and services to support and enhance student life on a George Richardson • The Daily Beacon daily basis.” Changing the organization’s name was not Workers take a brief break to watch football practice on Thursday, Aug. 5. Construction for the new Football Training Center, which will feature meeting essential to the revamp but was vital in reflectrooms, a dining hall, hydrotherapy area, locker room and 22,000-square foot, ing the internal changes made to the division. The faculty hopes to send a clear message multi-level weight room, is scheduled for completion in summer 2012.

about its mission on campus. “While the name change was not a direct suggestion of our constituents, (there was) a desire to title our unit in a way that is better representative of our focus and what we do,” Shivers said. Alterations to the role of student affairs will be wide-reaching. The name change was designed to highlight the diverse array of services and departments that make up this campus division. “In addition to changing the name, we hope to make students aware of the departments and offices that comprise the Division of Student Life,” Rogers said. “The programs and services offered by these 16 departments — Career Services, Multicultural Student Life, Parents Association, SEE Center, Student Counseling Center, Student Health Services, University Center, University Housing, Dean of Students, Disability Services, Fraternity and Sorority Life, RecSports, Student Activities, Student Judicial Affairs, Student Orientation and Leadership Development, Student Publications — touch all areas of student wellbeing and development.” All of these efforts were structured around a desire to protect the division’s primary mission. “As our name changes to the Division of Student Life, we are reminded each and every day of our mission and commitment to student success,” Rogers said. According to the division’s website, http://studentlife.utk.edu, the division’s main goal is to enhance student life at UT. The group labors in “providing students with an engaging and enlightening atmosphere of living and learning.” Employees see the name change as a step towards the division’s future. “It was in the spirit of our mission and focus, as well as the feedback from division department heads, that we have progressed from student affairs to student life,” Shivers said. See DIVISION on Page 3


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