Residential Housing @ UMass Boston

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

1. Is there actually any demand from students for housing? Are there prospective students who choose not to enroll at UMass Boston because we do not offer housing?

Yes, 22% of our entering undergraduate students live outside of route 495 or out of state or are international students. These students are moving into neighboring communities to enroll at UMass Boston. Each year we survey all of our admitted students with an Admitted Student Questionnaire. In recent responses, 30% of those who enrolled said finding housing was a concern for them and 50% of those who did not enroll indicated that housing was an issue in their decision. In our fall 2001 retention study of fall 2000 freshmen, 31% of the full time freshmen did not return to UMass Boston for their second year. The survey shows that 32% of the non-returning students indicated that housing was a reason they did not return. Across the board, housing is cited as one of the reasons for leaving among all ethnic/racial groups. According to our Office of Student Employment and Housing, for the two weeks leading up to the start of classes and the two weeks after classes begin we receive 1,200-1,600 inquiries about finding housing. Throughout the year they manage an average of 50 housing inquiries per week.

2. How will residential housing affect the average age of students on campus?

Fifty three percent of our undergraduate full time students are age 22 and under. This is the population that we are chiefly planning to serve with residential housing. We anticipate that we will retain more of these traditional freshmen than we do now, but we don't anticipate this will significantly affect our median age. UMass Boston has always also served large numbers of non-traditional and part time students, and we don't expect that to change.

3. What will be the effects on the surrounding neighborhoods?

We currently have approximately 1,700 students living in the adjacent communities of South Boston and Dorchester, which also includes Harbor Point. We envision our plans to build residential housing as a way of taking students out of the neighborhoods and putting them on the campus, consequently freeing up affordable housing units in the community. We believe this will have a positive impact on the neighborhoods. Residential housing will also have a positive impact on our campus because it will give us the opportunity to build the appropriate student life and on-campus community that we are currently lacking. This lack is made apparent by surveys of students who enroll at the university and leave after one or two years for a "residential" campus experience and of those who are accepted at the university but do not choose to come here because of the lack of on campus housing.

4. To what extent will housing fees cover such overhead costs as insurance, security, and "house parents"?

About half of the costs will be financed from the fees charged to students and other users of the residential housing. About 30 percent will come from dedicated trust funds, and 20 percent from general revenues of the campus.

5. Will residents be allowed to have cars and park on campus?

With fewer commuting students, the demand for parking may actually be lower. The parking policy for students living on campus will be determined as we continue to assess the impact on the campus and the adjacent neighborhoods, as well as overall demand from prospective residents. We are already, however, seriously considering prohibiting freshmen from having cars on campus.

6. What proportion of residents will be international students? out of state students?

Currently 12% of our students are from out of state or foreign countries. We don't anticipate a significant growth in these populations when residential housing is built. We expect that out-of-state and international students will continue to be about 12% of our total student population. We anticipate that these students who are currently living in neighboring communities will be very interested in on campus housing.

7. To what extent will the distance between a student's home and the campus be a factor in selecting students to live in dorms? (One might, for example, imagine a preference given to students whose homes are far away and, once they're accommodated, a lottery for students whose homes are in Boston).

There will be no geographic restrictions or criteria used in the residential housing selection process.

8. How will we avoid a "two cultures" problem, with residents at the center and commuters on the margins of campus life?

With only 15% of our entire student population living in residential housing, commuter students will be the great majority of students on campus. Both groups will enjoy the benefits of new programs and activities created with the introduction of residential life. Most urban universities have between 9-22% of their students living on campus. Other urban universities have not experienced this "two-culture" problem.

9. Are you trying to get "new" types of students onto campus?

No. In our efforts to stabilize enrollments, our overall goal is to retain a greater proportion of the freshmen we admit. We do expect residential housing to attract more students for our Honors Program, as well as for our athletics programs.

10. Will the increase in admission standards or the introduction of a resident student population on campus have an effect on our commitment to the Directions for Student Potential (DSP) summer program for students who demonstrate potential to succeed at UMass Boston, but who do not meet all of the admission eligibility requirements?

We remain committed to the DSP program and will continue to recruit and enroll students for this six week preparatory program that provides intensive skill building in math and English, as well as support in making the transition from high school to university studies. Students who successfully complete this program are offered admission based on their achievement in the DSP program. Students who complete the DSP program and enroll at UMass Boston are retained at higher rates than other freshman matriculants, a clear indication of the success of the program. We will continue to offer DSP annually to 200+ applicants who may not be eligible for direct admission as freshmen to UMass Boston because of low SATs, weak English language skills, or missing college preparatory units, but who demonstrate potential and an ability to succeed with the support and attention offered through the DSP experience. This will not change with the introduction of residential programs.

11. How many "true freshman" leave UMass Boston for a more traditional "live on campus" experience?

In our fall 2001 survey of our fall 2000 freshmen, 34% of the respondents who had not returned to UMass Boston reported that they were already enrolled at another institution that offered residential housing.

12. Will students be guaranteed four years of housing?

If students enter as first-time, full-time freshman, we are considering guaranteeing them four years of housing.

13. How many students will the university house?

Two thousand students will receive residential housing, which is about 15% of our total student population.

14. How will the university's marketing campaign to recruit students differ once residential housing is available?

Residential housing will be marketed as one more service and an additional benefit that the university offers to prospective students. We will also be able to market these enhancements in our program of student activities.

15. Will graduate students be provided housing? Will that housing include family housing?

Graduate student housing will be offered, but there will be no family housing.

16. Does the addition of residential housing alter the urban mission of the university?

No. We will always provide an excellent education to a diverse student population, which will, as always, include both traditional students and non-traditional students who may be the first in their families to go to college, bi-lingual, and/or from other countries.

17. Will there be any restrictions for those living in dorms -- freshman only? non-smoking? singles? graduate students only? families?

We will not house families but we might consider special interest housing in certain areas. The policies we will develop pertaining to smoking, etc. will be determined in accordance with the state laws and the university's current policies.

18. Where will the residential housing be located?

There were ten possible sites identified in the feasibility study for residential housing, three of which were recommended as ideal. One site is where the current practice soccer field is; the second and third sites hug the new Campus Center.

19. What is the expected opening date for the residential housing?

Ideally, 2004-2005.

20. Will residences be hard-wired for computers?

Yes, there will be wiring for at least one port per bed as well as antenna sites for wireless computing in common areas.

21. How can the university fund dorms when we are in a financial crisis?

The construction costs of the residences will be financed by borrowing money from the University of Massachusetts Building Authority (UMBA). Despite the Commonwealth's fiscal difficulties, the university has a very good bond rating and will have no difficulty accessing the financial markets. One benefit of the poor economy is that the UMBA should be able to borrow the funding at historically low interest rates. These low rates will reduce the amount of debt service payable on the bonds and reduce the rents that the students living in the residences will have to pay.

22. How many new jobs will be created once dorms are complete? How will these additional jobs be funded?

We anticipate that the new residences will create approximately 100 new full-time jobs on campus. These jobs will be funded partially from rental payments, partially from trust fund fees, and partially from general revenues. The resident advisor positions will probably be funded through tuition and fee waivers. The new full-time positions will be in the areas of public safety, facilities management, student services, auxiliary services, and athletics to support the activities associated with the new student residences. In addition, there will be about 65 resident advisory positions created. These will generally be filled by students.

24. Will the focus on recruiting and enrolling a resident student population diminish the experience of other students and alumni/ae who were part of a commuter institution?

Absolutely not. We believe that UMass Boston will gain in stature when we are able to offer additional amenities, including housing, to students. Housing can help to make UMass Boston the first choice of more students. With this enhancement of our reputation will come more pride for everyone and in what they have accomplished at UMass Boston.

25. Will financial aid be available to help eligible students cover the cost of housing?

Yes, the Financial Aid Office will establish a budget for another category of students who are housed on campus and their awards will be in relation to that budget, including room and board. We have evaluated the total budget of a resident student, estimating the cost of on-campus housing, and we believe that this student's budget will be similar to that of a dependent student living off campus but not with family.

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