Officials consider year-round housing plan
Allison Rosewicz

Editor-in-Chief

International students may no longer be left out in the cold during breaks.

Missouri Southern hosts 101 international students from 36 countries such as Brazil, Chile, Finland, Germany, Kenya, Russia, Japan and India.

 That has been one of the biggest challenges international students face - housing,  said Kimberly S. Gray, international student adviser.  I have seen this housing crisis emerge with each break. 

Rahila Khan, sophomore engineering major, started a petition this semester to encourage housing for international students during breaks. She also wrote a research paper in an English class regarding this issue.

 It s a problem, and we re always complaining about it,  she said.  We re basically being thrown off campus during the breaks, and we don t have anywhere to go. We kind of end up homeless. 

Doug Carnahan, dean of students, is creating a plan which would allow these students to remain on campus during Thanksgiving, winter, spring and summer breaks for the 2003-2004 year.

 I think it s something that s long overdue,  Carnahan said.  It may be the thing that makes students decide to come here as opposed to going somewhere else. 

International students now have to find another place to stay over breaks, such as with host families or fly home.

 It really isn t economically feasible for them,  Gray said.  For financial reasons, some can t afford to go home. 

During the breaks, the cafeteria and Student Life Center would also be open. Meals would be offered twice a day for brunch and dinner. Meals would not be available, however, during the summer.

 But we would have access to the snack bar [in the Billingsly Student Center] on a cash basis,  Carnahan said.

Carnahan said the greatest change will come during winter break. The school has previously left the residence halls open during Thanksgiving and spring breaks, but never during Christmas.

Deb Gipson, resident director, said in her 15 years of working at Southern, the College has never done anything like this.

 We know the number of international students is going to increase, and it s getting tougher and tougher each year to find places for our international students over Christmas,  Carnahan said.  We re going to make this step to stay open over the next holiday. 

Gray said she appreciates Southern s attempt to keep the halls open, but she wishes they could be open this Christmas.

Carnahan said if the plan goes through, the College will try to keep costs reasonable. During winter break, for example, students would pay $400, or $100 for each week of the four-week break.

 Obviously, if it s too expensive, no one is going to want to do it,  he said.

 It s going to be a service,  Gipson said.  It s not going to be something where we make a lot of money by any means. 

Gipson said the most difficult problem keeping the residence halls open during winter break will be finding a way to cover utility costs.

 Utility costs usually go way down during that month,  she said.  They will obviously increase now, and people that have to stay will have to pay. 

She said routine maintenance may also be disturbed because workers will not have unlimited access to the residence halls as they usually do.

 It s nothing we can t work around,  Gipson said.  Not all the logistics have been worked out yet. 

Another problem could be finding staff assistants and resident directors willing to work on campus during their usual breaks. Because students will be allowed to stay in their own rooms rather than group housing, a staff member will have to be present in each occupied building.

 As far as it being a burden, they will have to do what they have to do,  Gipson said.  But, it is a time when they re normally off. 

Carnahan said the staff may have to work out a routine where people rotate working days. He said most of the burden of duty will fall on the resident directors  shoulders.

Despite these possible dilemmas, Carnahan and Gipson said they are confident the plan will pass. If it does, it will have to be approved by Dr. Terri Agee, vice president for business affairs, and College President Julio Leon.

 If we want to continue to encourage international students, we have to provide services for these students,  Carnahan said.  We can t expect them to fend for themselves. Right now, we re very limited on what services we provide for international students. 

Khan said she thinks it is a good idea resident officials are finally making an effort to house international students during breaks and holidays.

 Imagine coming from another country and not knowing the place, language and other things very well, then not having a place to live,  she said.  Understand how uncomfortable that is.