Dean College has flourished on the reputation of being a small college, with an average class size of 18 students and a 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio, students have chosen this campus with the guarantee of having a close relationship with the resources offered.
Historically, the student body size has never surpassed 1,200 full-time students and having 87% of those students living on campus, the school has proven to be considered one where students want to live away from home.
Vice President Adam Keyes has expressed the desire for potentially increasing the student body size in the future, however the campus itself has no more space for residential dorms to house the said increase.
When asked how the college would plan on accommodating the potential increase, Adam Keyes responded with “To accommodate a larger student population, we'd strategically bolster aspects like class offerings, academic majors, residential spaces, athletics, and social programming. Every increase should be aligned with student needs and our commitment to excellence.” Which hints toward the fact that Dean College is nearing its maximum capacity, and any increase would have to be well planned for.
The only current option for off-campus housing is for upperclassmen in The Franklin Commons, located just 0.2 miles away from campus. With most colleges and universities allowing multiple options for off-campus housing, most Dean College students are left wondering why the same doesn’t apply here. According to Adam Keyes that’s because; “While we have a segment of commuting students, our primary focus is on ensuring equitable access to campus resources. We're open to off-campus arrangements but must consider the overall impact, including the financial aspects, for every student.”
Students like junior dance major Sara-Elizabeth Coker says that “Traveling 14 hours with only limited amounts of space to bring everything you need for 9 months is extremely difficult and stressful. Having an off-campus apartment, one where I could rent for the entire time that I’m at Dean would be ideal for a number of reasons.”
Students have had opinions about off-campus housing for years, but nothing will be changed until the proper accommodations are made.
Have an opposing viewpoint to this opinion? Let us know. All views are welcome. Send your thoughts to our Editorial Staff – Editor Dylan Hicks dhicks@student.dean.edu or Dean Daily Faculty Advisor, Professor John Rooke jrooke@dean.edu