At five-stories high with 225 beds, private bathrooms and kitchen areas, the University’s new graduate student housing sounds promising to us-albeit through the noise coming from the construction site in the morning.
The graduate dormitory, scheduled for completion in January 2008, will be bigger than its counterpart, the New Complex. It will be smaller than the suites in Nassau/Suffolk, but will feature enough amenities to make undergraduate students jealous.
It seems as if the University found its “edge.” As graduate enrollment continues to increase, the administration is taking note. By modernizing the north (or residential) side of campus, the University is attempting to bridge the gap between campus life and academics by mixing undergraduate students with graduate students, all living, working and studying within the same space.
However, the University’s non-traditional, sprawling campus is somewhat of an architectural hodgepodge. The south side of campus is home to the lush arboretum and collegiate-style buildings, while the north side of campus is ultimately disconnected due to the heavy percentage of commuter students coming and going, high-rises and lack of parking spaces.
Adding to the ever-long parking problem would be, yes, the new graduate building. The construction has eliminated 200 spaces adjacent to Constitution Hall-a once prime space for commuters. Despite the lack of spaces on the north side of campus, there are no new lots to compensate for the problem.
The solution we hear from professors for struggling commuter students is “wake up and get here earlier.” But what if you live in Astoria, Far Rockaway or worse, eastern Suffolk County? Trust us, the Long Island Expressway, Cross Island and Belt Parkways are the most unpredictable, unreliable roads in the tri-state area-something that makes “getting here earlier” tough to do.
Once the new graduate hall opens, it will be interesting to see what happens with the older-New Complex (odd paradox)- it could become a second choice for grad students, or, the University could change the building altogether depending on how many enroll for on-campus housing.
As for “unifying” the north campus: commuters are paying customers, too. Creating more programs to help them assimilate into campus life can encourage them to get more involved in activities and clubs. And residents, don’t be shy-take time to get to know your neighbors. Talk to someone on the elevator. Make friends. Then, and only then, will true unity take place-with or without a fancy new building.