Housing crunch may send students to the Days Inn

Hayley Tsukayama News Editor

Students checking in for housing next fall may be doing so at the front desk of the Poughkeepsie Days Inn, if the College employs a housing contingency plan announced at the Vassar Student Association (VSA) meeting on Sunday, Feb. 24.

According to Director of Residential Life Luis Inoa, the College has reserved 24 rooms—each with two beds and a private bathroom—for possible overflow. “This is a safety measure,” said Inoa, adding that the rooms will not be added to the spring housing draw.

Inoa said that while the College has enough on-campus housing for all students projected to return to the campus next fall, this plan has been drawn up in case predictions prove incorrect.

“If the freshman class is larger than expected or students change their minds about Junior Year Abroad during the summer, if any of those projections are off by a significant number, we may have to utilize those beds,” said Inoa.

The plan raises concerns about overall safety, given that the Days Inn will be in full operation during the time when students may reside there. To address these concerns, Inoa said that all student rooms would be located in the central part of the building, which has only one entrance. Other rooms are designed to allow guests to drive to their rooms.

“Walking-wise,” Inoa pointed out, “it is more or less the same as the Town Houses.” Inoa said that if the College uses the Days Inn, it will be open to all classes. Students who did not participate in spring room draw will most likely be contacted for the rooms first.

Though the Vassar Alumnae House has served as residential housing in past crunches, Inoa said that the College discounted it as an option because of “fire codes and cost concerns.”
Vassar is not the first college to look to hotels for overflow housing. Marist College recently put students in the Courtyard Marriot during dormitory renovations. Hamilton College used hotels to house about 70 students for one week during construction delays.

Inoa said that other schools he has worked for, including Boston College and the University of Miami, have explored similar plans. Still, Inoa stressed that this plan is only a safety measure in the event that the College’s projections are wrong. “Students need not worry,” Inoa said, “for those that are here and want to get a room, there is space for you on-campus.”