Students will receive information in the next several weeks about a new program that will allow them to apply for housing by computer, said Associate Dean of Residential Life Bud Beatty.
"It's a better system for students," Beatty said. "It is much easier to file over the computer."
Beatty said the new process prevents misinterpretation.
"If you put all the information in one database, you can identify early on problems with students' applications," Beatty said. "It will allow us to get assignments done quicker."
Carol Meerson, the designer of the new program and the computer programming specialist for ORL, said that students often leave blanks on their applications, and their handwriting can often be illegible.
"We can catch these oversights with the new program," Meerson said.
Director of Housing Services Lynn Rosenblum called the new process "time-saving" and a "staff saver."
"It will probably take care of two to three weeks of organizing," Rosenblum said. "Before we had to look up the student's D-plan, who their roommates were and what the roommate's D-Plan was. Now, the computer can do that. It will free up our staff to do other things."
Meerson said that the new program will allow ORL to write reports on housing patterns.
"We'll be able to provide students with more efficient guidelines, because we'll be able to compile reports easier," Meerson said.
Beatty said the computer process should take students five to 10 minutes. Only students living in the residence halls will be able to file an application by computer. Students living in coed, fraternity, and sorority houses, in affinity housing or in the Butterfielddormitory, will have to file a paper application.
On the first part of the application, students supply their biographical data. On the second part, students list their room and cluster preferences.
The third page of the application contains terms and conditions. Students must type their names at the end of this section to say they agree to abide by the terms, Beatty said.
The housing selection process will remain the same. Seniors will get first priority, and students make selections based on room, rather than cluster preferences.
Beatty said the housing deadlines will stay the same for the year 1995-1996, but he hopes that in the future, ORL, the Registrar and the Off-Campus Programs office will achieve synchrony in their deadline dates.
"One of our goals is to work with the Registrar and Off-Campus programs to see if we can set deadlines in the same week, possibly on the same day," Beatty said.
Beatty said that he thinks the new process will cost less money.
"At the beginning, it may cost a little more, but once we get used to it, it will probably cost less," Beatty said.
Students will be able to sign on to the program using DCIS Navigator. But in the summer students will only be able to file applications between 4 p.m. and 7 a.m.
"If students run into problems, they can call ORL during the day," Beatty said. He said that once students enter the information into the computer, they can go back and change the data. Only the latest information entered will be considered.
Beatty said ORL has been working on the project for the past three years. They have been working on the electronics of it for more than a year.
