Wintersession 2010 housing policies remain same as 2009

This year's wintersession housing policies are a continuation of last year's, when available dorms were reduced to the new dorm complex of Bates, Freeman, and McAfee. Students living in all other complexes during the regular academic year will have to move into rooms in the new dorms. The administration expects these three dorms to be at full capacity.

The drastic changes witnessed last year in this new housing policy stems from the College's financial situation.  The new dorms were designated as the only living facilities over wintersession due to their more efficient heating systems. By shutting down other dorm facilities, the College seeks to consolidate and reduce costs.

Students residing in Bates, Freeman, and McAfee during the regular academic year and who are not returning for wintersession can request specific students to stay in their rooms through the Housing and Transportation Office.

Bates Dining Hall will open starting Jan. 2, 2011 at 5 p.m., and provide dining services from Monday through Friday.  Meals, however, will not be included in Wellesley students' meal plan, and will have to be paid for out of pocket by students. Dining Services reported that a 10 percent discount is offered to students who pre-load money onto their ID cards.

The College has also allocated a time for wintersession students to access their own rooms to collect anything that they may need for the temporary move into their Bates, Freeman or McAfee rooms.  All dorms will be opened for student access on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011 between noon and 10 p.m.

The Director of Residential and Campus Life Kris Niendorf has faced a barrage of questions and complaints from confused students. "The first year always has the most questions, but everything worked well last year and I am hoping this year will go even more smoothly," Niendorf said.

"There are no major changes [to this year's housing policies]. We are using the same guidelines as last year. We adapted last year as we went and addressed many issues then," Niendorf said.  "We were also able to identify that we would need three residence halls this year and announced it during last spring's housing lottery process."

Students must have compelling reasons for staying on campus during wintersession to be eligible for housing.  The majority of these reasons are athletics, research, on-campus employment, or academic programs such as the Albright Institute for Global Affairs.