The University’s new plan to integrate Spelman Halls 7 and 8 into Whitman College next year represents good intentions badly executed. Contrary to the proposal’s stated goal — increasing the flexibility and convenience of dining options — the restrictive rules on living arrangements make it harder for students to take advantage of these options and unfairly advantage students who already live in Whitman College.
By decreeing that Spelman 7 and 8 will be part of Whitman College next year, the University is significantly reducing the amount of housing available for independent students and the non-independent students who choose to room with them. The background to this decision is simple: Last year, a higher-than-anticipated percentage of the Class of 2009 chose to join eating clubs, which left several rooms in Spelman empty after independent room draw. It is true that the ranks of independent students have declined since 2005, but this does not signal a need to precipitously reduce independent housing, as this plan does. The University does not yet know whether the preferences of the Class of 2009 represent an anomaly or an acceleration of this recent trend, and the administration should wait for the Class of 2010 to make its residential choices before acting.
The new plan makes it easy for Whitman residents who want to split meals between the dining hall and home cooking to get a meal plan. Everyone else, however, must either find two fully independent students to live with in Spelman 1-6 or get in line behind the Whitman residents, as Whitman members will have priority in room draw for Spelman 7-8.
The University should instead allow any student living in Spelman to buy a meal plan. Upper-class students could then both cook and eat meals in the dining halls as they wish without having to satisfy a series of inconvenient housing requirements that limits their choice of possible roommates.
Perhaps some may argue that this scheme would deprive students living in Spelman of a true residential college community. But simply declaring Spelman Halls 7 and 8 part of Whitman College will not effectively integrate these buildings into the college. Indeed, many Whitman College members have noted that the connected dorm complex is what creates a sense of community in Whitman. Whitman College members who live in Spelman will not benefit from this distinguishing feature, whether they all live in halls 7 and 8 or are scattered throughout Spelman.
Given these problems, the University plans for the use of Spelman 7 and 8 need revision. It is laudable that the University is committed to eliminating barriers between students in residential colleges, eating clubs, cooperatives and independent housing. But what the University needs to do now is create a plan that demolishes old walls rather than raises new ones.
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