North Campus Residential Expansion (Photo by Samuel Kim)
Coming from any background, entering Cornell is an invigorating experience. The university’s mantra of “any person, any study” rings loudly in freshman minds. There is a lot in store for what one will experience as a Cornellian outside of academics—the scenery, the unstable weather of Ithaca, and the swimming requirement represent just a few commonalities. Yet the incoming class faces numerous changes unique to their class, as some newcomers are transitioning to the return of in-person classes and a novel campus experience through the North Campus Residential Expansion (NCRE) project.
The project held ambitious goals with the construction of residential, dining and recreation space across its three years of development, from June 2019 to the fall of 2022. The different phases segmented the ability to address the housing shortage for underclassmen, with phase one accommodating 800 students by the Fall 2021 semester and phase two hosting an additional 1200 students by the Fall 2022 semester. The final bits of the project included the installation of solar panels and the development of a compost program for each of the recently completed residential halls.
These dorms mostly delivered what the students expected with the idea of new buildings. Many of the residents in these recently finished halls (named after Barbara McClintock, Hu Shih, and Ruth Bader Ginsberg) have had no major complaints, only minor marks that were resolved as quickly as they occurred. That the washing machines occasionally flooded the floor, some vending machines malfunctioned, and the televisions lacked accompanying remotes were forgotten when students came to describe overall life in the new dorms.
The one complaint offered by many residents concerned the social climate, or perhaps the lack thereof.. They suggested that their friend groups became more homogenous as the new buildings provided abundant space and accessibility, making it easier for students to stay in their “comfort” zone. The amount of lounges on each floor allows students the space to find their own domains and remain stagnant socially, never feeling the need to branch themselves away from people they may not see as easily as the people near their room or generally in their dorm. Similarly, the new dorms have convenient access to the newest and biggest dining hall (Toni Morrison), which was also built as a part of NCRE. However, the massive influx of students into Morrison diminishes the social opportunity for students to branch out in the chaos.
Overall, the North Campus Residential Expansion’s goal was to“relieve pressure many students feel to secure housing for the following year” and to alleviate pressure on the rental market for housing in Tompkins County by providing accommodations for freshman and sophomores. To this degree, the first and second-year students are happy with their new homes. They are furnished, structured, and modern in what they provide to students. Eventually, students will grow to leave the comfort zone facilitated by the modernity of NCRE. Things will work out there.
Unfortunately, Cornell’s project only accounts for a short-term solution in reducing the housing shortage. When the current freshman and sophomores transition into juniors and seniors, they will need to search for housing off campus. With a “net gain of undergraduate 1,000-1,100 students,” according to the Ithaca Voice, the excessive demand for housing will return and permeate the Ithaca community. The project only adjusts for the increased enrollment and housing of continual freshman and sophomore classes, neglecting to provide housing for those students as juniors and seniors. As a result, the increase in students admitted by the university may actually worsen the Collegetown housing pinch. This shortsightedness, combined with Cornell’s plans for increasing future enrollment, indicates an unwillingness to focus on present issues. Cornell is merely placing a bandage on these problems until an undefined end goal.
The failure to accommodate the needs of current enrollment is further demonstrated by the consistent staffing shortages across the dining halls, with both Appel and Morrison dining halls resorting to utilizing disposable utensils to meet the student population need. In some dining halls, sparsely staffed shifts have resorted to using disposable plates and utensils to reduce the workload.
With Cornell’s NCRE project poised to administer only a partial solution to the housing problem, it is clear that there needs to be accountability. The administration needs to communicate how it means to provide for the tangible needs of students. Currently, freshmen are left in the dark about what housing future awaits them two years from now. Will we continue to resort to disposable items to meet the labor shortage created from the university’s choices? Is the university amenable to the idea that reducing the housing crisis in Tompkins County will not be found by increasing our yearly enrollment without providing sufficient housing for all undergraduates?
