Transfer students should be guaranteed on-campus housing
A resolution to secure on-campus housing for first-year transfer students at Rice University was introduced at the Oct. 21 Student Senate meeting and amended Oct. 28 to further recommend increased resources to aid transfer students in making the transition to Rice (see story, p. 1). The Thresher supports this resolution and encourages the Student Senate to approve it.
The residential college system is a significant aspect of Rice's culture and is often a deciding factor in students' choice to transfer to Rice. Current housing rules, however, do not guarantee on-campus housing for first-year transfer students. This is problematic for transfer students, who may already feel outside of the Rice community, because being off-campus their first year at Rice severely limits their opportunities for residential college participation and interaction. There are always exceptions and those who put extra effort into becoming part of their college culture, but in general, living off campus hinders transfer students' ability to adapt to the Rice community.
A survey conducted by Rice Transfer Student Association President Ryan Kim has shown that a significant portion of transfer students who must live off campus their first year at Rice do not move on campus later on. No matter the effort put in by students, being off campus does interfere with college-oriented activities and can restrict the amount of student interactions people have. This is especially true of colleges with strong floor culture, where those transfer students who remain off campus never become part of this culture.
Rice students take great pride in the residential college system and the inclusivity it offers to all of its students, yet transfer students are still left in the margins. Despite not being "new" university students, transfer students are new to Rice and should be given the same privileges as all new students.
Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Thresher editorial staff. All other opinion pieces represent solely the opinion of the piece's author.
More from The Rice Thresher
Founder’s Court goes alt-rock as bôa kicks off U.S. tour at Rice
Founder’s Court morphed into a festival ground Friday night as British alt-rock band bôa launched the U.S. leg of their “Whiplash” tour. The group headlined the third annual Moody X-Fest before what organizers estimate was “a little bit over 2,000 students” — the largest turnout in the event’s three-year history.
Rice launches alternative funding program amid federal research cuts
Rice is launching the Bridge Funding Program for faculty whose federal funding for research projects has been reduced or removed. The program was announced via the Provost’s newsletter April 24.
This moment may be unprecedented — Rice falling short is not
In many ways, the current landscape of American higher education is unprecedented. Sweeping cuts to federal research funding, overt government efforts to control academic departments and censor campus protests and arbitrary arrests and visa revocations have rightly been criticized as ushering in the latest iteration of fascism.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher.