University of Virginia Library

Housing Hassle

After reading today's Cavalier
Daily, I can only agree completely
with what one of your readers
wrote you about the housing office
and its director. The way this
administration run is at least
deplorable. I had the doubtful
honor to deal with Mr. Main, the
acting director on a few occasions.
I am fully convinced now that there
is no way to have a meaningful
dialogue with the housing office.
The only word used for all purposes
is their "responsibility" which
seems to exist basically in not
taking responsibilities at all when
improvements are involved. Even
the most reasonable proposals are
knocked off by applying rules
without looking at these rules.
Some of them are really outdated
because they were made tens of
years ago without ever being
reviewed. For example, the housing
office still classifies refrigerators as
"health hazards." Even the idea of
the possibility that a rule might one
day be reviewed fills the director,
apparently, with awe. It is really
regrettable that a housing administration
is so inflexible, and often
unreasonable, whereas housing is
such an important factor for the
students because it directly affects
their daily life, their study environment
and so on. As a foreign
student, I really regret that I shall
have to take home this excellent
example of administration in its
worst sense.