“If we want to cut costs, we need to start with luxe dining halls and dorms with million-dollar views.” …
If college food today is considered gourmet, I really don’t want to know what it used to be like…
This article substantially misses the mark. The author could have done some actual research to find which colleges are spending money building dorms that are truly unnecessarily plush. I’m not sure Simmons with a “ball pit” and smoothies really qualifies. Similarly with dorms that have million dollar views and are close to the library. He was a bit closer to the mark describing walk-in closets at BU.
It would be nice to get a real look at schools which have wasted either student or donor money. That might be a start on figuring out which schools would needlessly soak an unsuspecting student and their family.
My 12th grade English teacher used to joke that the students at BU will never live a life as luxurious as the one they lived during their college years because of the astronomical student debt they’ve acquired.
I think this article is attempting to generalize a few specific observations. Are there colleges in the US that have far more luxurious accommodations than others? Absolutely. I’ve looked at student housing at some of the schools that tend to attract people with more money, and calling these things “dorm rooms” isn’t close to what they actually are. They’re practically penthouse suites in some cases. However, this is not the norm. The majority of college dorm rooms are still pretty simple. A couple of single beds that can be stacked to make bunk beds. A couple of desks. Possibly a mini-fridge and microwave. Typically a small closet for each occupant and a small window with a sweeping view of the brick exterior of the building next door.
Some schools do have far more dining options than others. There definitely isn’t any gourmet food at my school cafeteria. The options are mostly along the lines of bland cheeseburgers, bland chicken patty sandwiches, bland chicken strips, and various other varieties of blandness. Typically accompanied by some greasy french fries. They do have a salad bar though.
What isn’t mentioned here is that students are often paying the difference for the gourmet food options. If one has a meal plan with a ‘credit’ system, the gourmet dining hall options are likely to use credits at a much greater rate than the standard dining hall options. Many students aren’t going to be able to afford to go with the gourmet options as anything more than an occasional treat.
Wait, colleges have become country clubs? You mean they were less like country clubs when they kept out women, minorities, and poor people?
US colleges are pretty crazy. We have huge fitness complexes, gymnasiums, dormitories, facilities, etc. Most colleges throughout the world are simply academic and research buildings, as far as I know. US colleges have sooo many more buildings, resources, and whatnot.
Is it worth the cost?
@Ctesiphon - It depends on the person. For certain families, a 60k+ bill is pocket change, in which case springing the extra couple thousand for fluffier amenities would seem worth it.
Of course. However, I would argue that those amenities aren’t necessary to create a vibrant learning & research environment, which is what colleges are meant to be. Even if there are families who would pay that bill, I find it would be more efficient and better suited to their purposes for universities to simply be grounds for learning, research, and other academic endeavors. Not country clubs!
And for anyone who thinks it would be a good point to bring up–No, I am not going to go to college in another country.
Frankly, I just want it to be clean and to have working hot water.
I’m looking at you, Penn State freshman dorms! It is not acceptable to take FIFTEEN MINUTES TO EVEN GET WARM!!!
Don’t most US colleges have relatively few amenities, since they primarily cater to commuters from the local area (e.g. community colleges and non-flagship state universities). They often do not have dorms if they do not have significant numbers of resident (as opposed to commuter) students.
Don’t universities in other countries have dorms, if they expect significant numbers of students to take up residence nearby for the purpose of attending the universities?
You’re probably right, I think I overgeneralized. I mean to say that most residential US colleges are as such, not community and commuter colleges. The scale of amenities that these universities own is on a whole new level compared to universities in other countries. I personally don’t think its necessary, because the surrounding town can provide these kinds of resources and a student can opt for these external amenities instead of it being included in a bill when he/she may not use it. For rural areas, I’d imagine there would be a demand for providers of these services and companies would move in and help develop around it.
Nonetheless, to return to the premise of the article, I think these would be the best areas to cut costs. The primary purpose of any (non-profit) university is to create a learning and research center, not to function as a resort. The first action to take to cut costs would be eliminating these, while useful and desirable, extraneous amenities and campus functions.
Before Universities start downsizing their dorms and amenities, I think they ought to have to stop forcing students to live on campus. If they’re going to make the dorms crappier and charge less, students should be allowed to use that money (assuming they have it) and get whatever accommodations they want off-campus, at an apartment or whatever.
How many schools require students other than noncommuter traditional frosh to live in dorms?
I know multiple schools in the Boston area that require on campus living for second year students as well.
In Boston, it does not appear that Boston College, Boston University, Northeastern, or Suffolk require non-frosh to live in the dorms. UMass - Boston does not even have dorms.
Northeastern does require second years to live on campus. Some even are required to have meal plans depending on what on campus housing option they have. Unless you as saying specifically dorm style living. Then yes, just freshman.
Down here in North Carolina most of the publics require you to live your freshman year on campus. Unless you are married or have relatives nearby.
I never lived on campus. It cost a ridiculous amount more than off campus housing (which always is nicer) and I don’t want to spend 6-7 grand a year living in a closet or with 3 other roommates. If you are really lucky you wont have to take a bus a mile away just to get to your car. Then they try to force feed you their top of the line meal package…
My university requires all first-year students to live on campus, with exception of those who are above residence hall age, are a family, or have family who live in the tri-county area. Additionally, they must purchase a meal plan.
Honestly for what some of those places charge, lobster for every dinner is quite reasonable.
Requiring students to live on campus is stupid. It just turns it into a prison. If people are going to be social, they’ll be social. Living a mile or two in a different direction isn’t going to change that.