RPS mulls ending rate freeze; IUSA opposes proposal

After hours of discussion, the IU Student Association passed a resolution Thursday to oppose a controversial option on the table for Residential Programs and Services -- ending the rate freeze for students returning to IU residence halls.\nRPS has long had a policy that sets a resident's room fee so that a students pays the same room rate as it was when he or she entered as a freshman. The RPS rates and budget committee recommended eliminating the freeze, said junior Eric Hafner, president of Read Center. Many RPS administrators and RHA officers support eliminating it.\nThe change would not affect students who entered the residence halls before this year.\nSophomore John Schlafer, president of Collins Center and chairman of the rates and budget committee, spoke at the IUSA meeting.\nThe rates and budget committee, which is considering ending the rate freeze, is composed of four representatives from RHA, four from RPS and one faculty member. The committee's recommendation will go to RPS Executive Director Patrick Connor.\nSchlafer said that when he first took the position of chairman he had an "inherent distrust of RPS." Yet after sitting on the committee and months of consideration and discussion, Schlafer said he feels RPS has the best interest of students in mind and that ending the rate freeze will be a good thing.\nSchlafer said he feels this way for a number of reasons. For one, 70 percent of students living in residence halls are freshmen, so the rate freeze is beneficial to only 30 percent of dorm residents. Schlafer said ending the rate freeze would make costs across the board more even and thus reduce rates for freshman.\nIU usually raises housing rates by 3.5 percent a year, the lowest in the Big Ten, Schlafer said. Ending the rate freeze may help keep the rates low.\nSchlafer also said this would help bring amenities and renovations that would be more effective at increasing retention, he said.\nA fixed rate would allow RPS to more accurately predict the amount of money coming in each year from the dorms.\n"It is important to accurately predict cash flow," Schlafer said. "It is important to predict rate of retention."\nSchlafer said the RHA presidents voted on the rate freeze. Eigenmann Hall did not get a vote because it was done before the hall became a part of RHA. Only two of the 10 presidents -- those from Read Center and Willkie Quad -- voted to keep the rate freeze. Read has a high percentage of upperclassmen, and Willkie has only upperclassmen.\nIlia Smith, a senior, is the IUSA senator for Willkie and the dorm's president.\n"Students are not here to fund RPS," Smith said. "We're getting a service. We should pay for it. People 10 years ago should not have to pay for it."\nIUSA members said they, in addition to RHA, play a role in representing residence hall students.\n"I don't think four or eight students can accurately represent everyone in the residence halls," said IUSA President Jake Oakman, a senior. "I think IUSA brings a more diverse group to look at it. We represent all the students. We wouldn't be doing our job if we didn't bring this up."\nIUSA representatives come from all living areas, including residence halls. RHA represents students living in residence halls. \nSchlafer emphasized the IUSA members' lack of information on the issue.\n"Making recommendations without credibility seriously hinders the integrity of an organization," Schlafer said.\nBut IUSA members did emphasize that no one in RHA or RPS has yet tried to educate the student body on this campus. A press release about the rate freeze has yet to be issued. \n"(The committee) took the time to get informed but didn't take time to get other people informed," Oakman said.\nIUSA can voice opposition with the board of trustees and can also take an active role in determining the opinion of the students.\n"They did not do an adequate job of educating everybody," said junior Corey Duersch, an off-campus senator.