Approximately 30 students attended an open forum hosted by the Board of Trustees Thursday night in Wilder to discuss administrative policies. Nine board members made efforts to address student concerns, the two sides participating in an interchange largely centered on the administration’s plan to make Oberlin a primarily residential campus in the upcoming years.

Students present at the dialogue expressed anxiety about the lack of communication regarding the decision to bring upperclassmen back to living on campus.

“I don’t feel students were accurately addressed about this issue but just informed that it was going to happen,” said senior Rachel Bardin. “Paying the bills, signing the lease, taking out the trash; these things are important to a lot of students and make them feel more like they are transitioning to the real world.”

Others echoed her concern.

“When I applied here I was under the impression that there was a four semester residency requirement,” said one student. “It’s just wrong to change these policies on us.”

Although no actual decision regarding the administration’s hope that Oberlin become a residential college is currently pending, trustees explained the logic behind the plan’s creation. They cited the strain students living off campus can have on the town, as well as the potential fracturing of the College community when so many students reside apart from it.

“[Students living off campus] cause dislocations in the housing market in town. It creates a lot of challenges for the city,” said Board member Stuart Cole, OC ’77. “The Board’s and administration’s thoughts for a push to become residential are not primarily financial, but about the quality of community and life on campus. A high degree of interaction between students and faculty is beneficial to the mission of the College.”

At its peak, the number of students living in non-College-owned housing was approximately 700. Currently the number is somewhat smaller at about 600 living off-campus and out of the system.

The board stated they hope eventually to press the figure down to 300, although they assured students that they are not planning to eliminate the off-campus alternative entirely.

The construction of the new units on Union Street are phase one of the administration’s multi-year strategy to have more students residing in College-owned housing. Phase two will be the building of a second new housing development, projected to be up and running by the fall of 2006, in an area near Stevenson. The renovation of existing dorms is also a possibility for the near future.

“We hope in the future [on-campus] housing will be a very desirable option,” Cole said. “Think beyond what exists today, but what could exist.”

Yet several students expressed distress at the current cost of town housing and its possible inflation as the College builds bigger and better options. It was asserted that a number of students depend on the off-campus option later in their College careers in order to be able to afford four years at Oberlin

“I think looking at the financial abilities of students is advisable,” said senior Rebecca Ganetzky. “Can students afford to pay for where we’re asking them to live?”

Another student voiced worry about the segregation of upperclassmen when those that cannot financially manage town housing are forced to live in dorms.

“We need to talk to the Office of Financial Aid and seriously work on some other alternatives,” she stated.

Also discussed at the forum was the College’s current environmental policy. A number of students were there to extend thanks to the trustees for their commitment to the environment the past year. This month marks the one year anniversary of the Board’s and President Nancy Dye’s acceptance of the Oberlin College Environmental Policy, now outlined within the strategic plan, and a move towards environmental sustainability. Students expressed their excitement with the new policies, as well as projects that have been planned to progress towards the realization of this goal.

“I think the student body really wants you to see us as a resource,” stated senior Rachel Cohn. “You could get some really great work from students for the Board.”

The student and trustee exchange was ended with a discussion of the strategic plan. Frustration with its wording was expressed and complaints were made regarding its clarity.

“The language of the strategic plan concerns me,” said senior Rachel Auerbach. “It is so vague and this text has the ability to affect us directly.”

The board attempted to assuage student fears, emphasizing the fluidity of the plan and the actions it proposes.

“The strategic planning document is evolving,” stated trustee Michael Lithcot, OC ’70. “Each time a draft is viewed we talk to students and ideas come and ideas go.”

The forum concluded with the trustee panel assuring students no fast or extreme changes would be made in College policy.

“There will be no wild swings one way or another,” said board member Liz Welch, OC ’80. “Navigating the tradeoffs of these decisions is our job and we’re not going to do any whacking.”

“This is a huge ship and you can’t just turn it on a dime,” Lithcot added.