The new online program would assign students a 10-minute window, based on their priority number, to select housing. The program would allow students to search for available rooms by criteria including type and location, give students the ability to view floor plans and update vacancy status in real time as rooms are chosen.
After receiving feedback regarding the current in-person room draw process, the Office of Residential Life acquired the capabilities allow housing applications to be completed online, Class-Giguere said.
When Class-Giguere asked the students at the Assembly meeting what they thought of the possible online system, many responded positively.
"I definitely think that the online system makes sense," Taha Adib '14 said. "It's practical, it's efficient and I don't see why it hasn't been done before."
Students voiced little concern with the potential pitfalls of the online system that Class-Giguere listed. One drawback is that students would be required to register for housing three days before the selection process actually begins, Class-Giguere said. The current in-person system allows students to register the same day that they choose their room.
The distinction between students with close priority numbers would be lost because 10 to 15 students would be assigned to each 10-minute housing selection time slot, and the larger number of shorter time slots would also mean that the process would occur over the span of four days, according to Class-Giguere. When Class-Giguere asked whether students thought that the length of the process would be an inconvenience, none of those present at the Assembly meeting expressed apprehension.
Class-Giguere fielded concerns about students who are off campus or who would not have access to a computer during their assigned time slot. As in the past, the online system would allow students to designate proxies to complete the selection process in their place.
When Class-Giguere asked for the Assembly's opinion of the possible online system, students said they thought it would be an improvement over the current in-person process.
"To be honest, anything would be better than the in-person system," Student Body President Eric Tanner '11 said. "Last year I was told to come to Alumni Hall at 8 p.m. and didn't end up picking my room till 10:30. It's not a fun way to spend a night."
Students said they did not want the online selection time slots to occur during class times, as many professors prohibit the use of computers in class.
Senior Vice President for Advancement Carolyn Pelzel, who also spoke during the Assembly meeting, sought student input on outside perceptions of Dartmouth. Engaging students in a discussion about the image that Dartmouth conveys to those who aren't familiar with the institution, Pelzel asked students about common words and phrases that they typically associate with Dartmouth.
Responses were generally positive, including adjectives such as "green" and "crunchy."
When Pelzel asked about the image that students' friends had of Dartmouth, those in attendance said that their friends often describe Dartmouth as a "party school" with a large Greek system.
Pelzel said that she and College President Jim Yong Kim want to focus on the way that Dartmouth is perceived in the world, adding that in many countries the College is not well known or even known at all.
"Before I came to Dartmouth, I had impressions, but when I got here, they changed," Pelzel said. "You have a down-to-earth, rugged quality. You are confident people, but not cocky. You pursue your passions, but don't draw attention to yourselves as individuals. You are social but often work together to advance a cause."
Pelzel spoke to the Assembly about ways to both improve the College's image and increase its visibility. External Affairs Committee member Nick Judson '14 suggested placing a virtual tour on the admissions website, while others talked about the importance of the College's statistics relative to figures from other institutions.
"I guess the important message for me is that we have to care about rankings, we have to work on them, we have to get information out about what they mean," Pelzel said. "We also need to think about how to communicate that sense of community that we all talk about. You know what it means, but we need to convey that to others."
The Assembly also voted unanimously to pass legislation presented by Committee on Diversity and Community Affairs to give $1,000 to sponsor a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration dinner held last Saturday. The legislation falls under the Inter-Community Development Fund.