University of Virginia Library

Housing Units

The are at the present time only
3,532 housing units maintained by
the University. Of these
approximately 2,500 were reserved
for first-year students leaving only
676 units for upper classmen and
320 units for married couples.
Percentage-wise that means that
over 70% of us are on the market
each Spring in a seller's market,
trying to find a place to live.
Whether or not this fact might
upset our ability to attain an
education, in the view of the
administration that's the way it
crumbles, cookie-wise.

For an institution that was
conceived of, in typically brilliant
fashion by Thomas Jefferson, as a
unique institution based on a
residential system where faculty
and students might have social and
intellectual intercourse in an
atmosphere of mutual trust and
respect, we have indeed fallen on
sad times. That an institution that
began with 100% on-grounds
housing in 1826 should fall to a
level of only 42.65% in 138 years is
indeed lamentable, but to think
that it should fall from that figure
in 1964 to less than 30% in just six
years is nothing less than shameful.
And if we are to believe the
projected figures published by the
University we may expect a further
decrease to less than 25% on
grounds housing by 1980, despite
all projected dormitory expansion.
So much for Mr. Jefferson's ideas
of an academical megalopolis.

If, then, the Administration has
committed itself to the commuter
college concept why has it
consistently refused to initiate its
own busing system, forcing the
Student Council to initiate one of
its own accord which lamentably
passed away through lack of
extended funding? If it is committed
to off-grounds housing as the
proper place for students, why then
has it not taken steps to encourage
more University alumni owning
farms within a thirty mile (hundred
mile?) radius to rent cottages in their
beautiful and invigorating
countryside? (Many hundred
already do live on farms.) indeed if
the administration is fully
committed to this policy then why
not encourage and heartily promote
the movement of decentralization
from the aging central grounds that
began with Bobby Canevari's
rustication from Pavilion VIII and
continued with the eviction notice
served on the occupants of Clarke
Hall?