The University Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed a motion opposing the proposed sale of Westmoreland Apartments.
The motion urged University President Dave Frohnmayer to re-start the planning process, include affected University stakeholder groups in future planning and provide the University community with a clearly stated strategy on the academic benefits of the sale.
“The proposed sale of the Westmoreland housing complex significantly affects the lives and educational possibilities of a wide range of current and future graduate and nontraditional students,” according to the motion.
It also said the proposed sale conflicts with the University’s mission statement to fulfill its explicit commitments to access, affordability, diversity, community, international awareness and graduate education.
It also states that the proposal “has not been fully discussed and approved by the appropriate University governance structures and committees.”
Matthew Dennis, a history professor, said although the sale might make sense fiscally, the administration has been vague with the senate about their intentions and the planning process.
“This resolution merely recommends that the process be restarted. Not stopped, but restarted on a new consulted basis,” Dennis said. “I trust that the administration has the best interest of the University in mind. I don’t necessarily trust the administration’s plans in this instance, however.”
Star Holmburg, graduate coordinator for the Computer and Information Science department, said many graduate teaching fellows and faculty from her department are concerned about the sale.
“I’m concerned for the future prospect of international students coming in. … They really value that more affordable housing,” Holmburg said.
Reading the State of the University address on behalf of President Dave Frohnmayer, who was out of town, Senior Vice President and Provost John Moseley discussed a plan to improve and increase housing by 15 percent, with the intent of getting better residence halls to attract out-of-state students.
“It is not an imagined market for nonresident students. It’s a very real market,” Moseley said, adding that the modest loss of 100 nonresident students could cost the University $1.7 million in a year.
Lisa Freinkel, associate professor of English, said the sale points to a clash of values between seeking revenue and fulfilling the University’s mission to protect the class of students that live in Westmoreland.
“It’s a class of students that seems different from the revenue-providing class of freshmen we need to seek out and win for all sorts of different reasons,” Freinkel said.
Moseley said the University is not in the business of subsidizing students’ food, books and housing, and that this should be handled through the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships.
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