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LIFE&ARTS PAGE 8
Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900
@thedailytexan
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
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CAMPUS
NATIONAL
UT SHORT 3,900 BEDS
Administrators still reviewing report that finds demand exists for additional beds on campus
1,200
800
Dorm-like beds for fresman
White House aims to fight sexual assault at universities
1,900
Dorm-like beds for upper classmen
By Natalie Sullivan
Apartment-style beds
@natsullivan94
By Bobby Blanchard @bobbycblanchard
The University is falling short of a demand for on-campus student housing by 3,900 beds, according to a previously unreleased report obtained by The Daily Texan. The report, called the Residence Halls Needs Assessment, is an examination of student housing at UT and concludes that the University needs to expand on-campus housing options to meet student demand and remain competitive with peer institutions. Administrators say they are still reviewing the assessment, which was completed in September 2013 for $150,000 by two architecture firms. The assessment identified a net-demand of 3,900 additional beds on-campus — more than the total number of beds in Jester. Since the report was completed, the only action University administrators have taken in regards to housing was increasing oncampus housing rates by an average of five percent for the 20142015 school year. Gage Paine, vice president of student affairs, said the University increased rates in part to prepare for future dorm construction costs, though, Paine said, construction plans are not in the preliminary stage of planning yet. “We did a little bit of a jump this year, so we could be prepared for the next step,” Paine said. “There was some increase based on future plans.” The assessment noted UT could raise rates by 10-16 percent across campus and not upset the housing market in Austin. UT houses around 7,400 students every year in its 14 dorms on campus — more than half the number of students who apply for on-campus housing. Laurie Mackey, director of administrative services at the Division of Housing and Food Services, said more than
HOUSING page 3 WHO LIVES ON CAMPUS
61%
of freshmen, 4,708 students, live on campus
20%
of sophomores, 1,640 students, live on campus
8%
of juniors, 677 students, live on campus
3% of seniors, 394 students,
live on campus
0% of graduate students, 3 students, live on campus
The Commission of 125 recommended adding 2,300 new beds to campus. UT has added about 600 beds since then.
1983
2008
2012
2004 The Centennial Commission says undergraduate students should be strongly encouraged to live on campus.
UT launches the "Campaign for Texas," a $3 billion fundraising campaign. The Division of Student Affairs did not include new construction as a fundraising priority.
A report from the task force on undergraduate rates recommends UT require all freshmen to live on campus.
WHAT’S IT COST TO LIVE HERE? ’12-’13 RATES
UNIT TYPE Double with community bath Double with connecting or private bath Basic single with community bath Basic single with connecting or private bath Premium single with community bath Premium single with connecting bath Suite Studio Two bed, two bath apartment Four bed, two bath apartment Four bed, four bath apartment
POTENTIAL RATES
$647 $706 $835 $894 $1,022 $1,082 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
$709 $815 $940 $1,038 $1,132 $1,192 $1,100 $935 $1,020 $1,000 $10,30
POTENTIAL INCREASE 10% 15% 13% 16% 11% 10% N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
WHERE & HOW DO THEY LIVE? ANDREWS
BLANTON
BRACKENRIDGE
CAROTHERS
CREEKSIDE
DUREN
JESTER
KINSOLVING
LITTLEFIELD
MOORE-HILL
PRATHER
ROBERTS
SAN JACINTO
WHITIS
Capacity: 132 Capacity: 274 Capacity: 128 Capacity: 131 Capacity: 190 GPA: 3.60 GPA: 3.55 GPA: N/A GPA: 3.21 GPA: 3.60 Satisfaction rate: Satisfaction rate: Satisfaction rate: Satisfaction rate: Satisfaction rate: 83% 57% 89% 83% 44% Capacity: 572 Capacity: 2,963 Capacity: 735 Capacity: 152 Capacity: 386 GPA: 3.21 GPA: 3.03 GPA: 3.18 GPA: 3.30 GPA: 3.60 Satisfaction rate: Satisfaction rate: Satisfaction rate: Satisfaction rate: Satisfaction rate: 85% 66% 57% 55% 66% Capacity: 158 Capacity: 127 Capacity: 811 Capacity: 197 GPA: 3.60 GPA: 3.28 GPA: 3.29 GPA: 3.01 Satisfaction rate: Satisfaction rate: Satisfaction rate: Satisfaction rate: 76% 61% 86% 87% *Capacity numbers are from the DHFS website. UT typically operates above capacity.
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
bit.ly/dtvid
Source: Residence Halls Needs Assessment, a report conducted by Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek Arcitects with Brailsford & Dunlavey. The Daily Texan obtained this report with an open records request.
A new government plan aiming at reducing sexual assault on college campuses will raise awareness and promote a more coordinated approach against violence and sexual assault at UT, according to a University health official. A White House task force committee formed the plan after surveying college administrators, assault survivors and other interested groups. The plan includes voluntary steps colleges can take to prevent sexual assault, assist survivors and increase transparency by making information about sexual assault more widely available. Erin Burrows, prevention and outreach specialist at Voices Against Violence, said the new plan will increase attention toward the problem of sexual violence. “Most people don’t want to talk about violence and harm, so this is a step in the right direction,” Burrows said. The plan includes such steps as conducting campus climate surveys, increasing bystander and intervention programs, and providing resources for victims of sexual assault to get help. Although campus climate surveys are voluntary this year, there are goals to make them mandatory by 2016. As part of its recommendations, the White House also launched a new website, NotAlone.gov, that allows students to look up sexual assault data on specific campuses and file Title IX complaints. According to the task force, one in five female college students has been sexually assaulted, but only 12 percent of them report the attack. Jane Bost, associate
WHITE HOUSE page 2
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
SG cannot recommend loans Driverless cars may raise efficiency By Nicole Cobler
By Wynne Davis
@nicolecobler
@wynneellyn
Student Government’s initial decision to inform students about the B-OnTime loan has been halted because, according to federal law, the organization is too closely affiliated to the University. The B-On-Time program is a no-interest state loan that is fully forgiven if a student graduates on time with a GPA of at least 3.0. Currently, the University is not allowed to recommend private loans to students, including state loans, unless the student asks about the specific program. In early April, SG Chief
According to UT researchers, driverless cars, or shared autonomous vehicles, could start driving people around the country in fewer than 10 years. Civil engineering professor Kara Kockelman and graduate student Daniel Fagnant have worked with the Center for Transportation Research in the Cockrell School of Engineering to research the impacts these vehicles would have when implemented as a fleet car sharing program, similar to the ZipCar and Car2Go programs operating in Austin. “Automated vehicles are coming, and our society needs to be ready,” Kockelman said. “Early research is critical in
Fabian Fernandez / Daily Texan Staff
Student Government discusses the inability to inform students about the B-On-Time Loan at the general meeting Tuesday.
Justice Philip Wiseman and other SG members planned to raise awareness about the B-OnTime loan to make up for the University’s inability to recommend private
Sell
loans. The SG members were later informed by Tom Melecki, student financial services director, that they would be
LOANS page 2
Mengwen Cao / Daily Texan Staff
Civil engineering professor Kara Kockelman and graduate student Daniel Fangant research on driverless cars.
anticipating their impacts.” Today, the automated vehicles would cost approximately $100,000 more than the average car, Kockelman said. If these cars were used
all your books for more money
in a car sharing program, though, people would no longer have to own and maintain personal vehicles, which could potentially cut down their
CARS page 2
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