Yesterday, I finally got a call from UCI's Palo Verde housing department asking me if I was interested in a housing assignment. Interested? Hell Yeah!
There was little in the way of selection (more on that below). I felt I was getting the sloppy seconds. I was given 2 choices (both were on my bottom of my preference list). Given, time was of the essence, I selected one and now I am going go roll with it.
The housing assignment did cause a problem: my move in date is September 8. This problem is that my first "mandatory" international student orientations for Merage is September 5. So if I want to attend these orientations, Lindsey and I will have to hotel it. I am not thrilled, but I am rolling with it.
As for why this years MBA housing assignments were such a disaster, it appears to be an unfortunate combination of new employees and a new university policy. Merage's "guaranteed" housing offers were never guaranteed in the official university sense. It was the product of a relationship and understanding between Merage and the housing department. This past year, UCI instituted an official policy guaranteeing housing for PhD and MFA students. File it under "it seemed like a good idea at the time" as a lack of implementation plan and new housing employees created difficulties in fulfilling that policy in a timely fashion.
This year the MBA's were not going to be assigned housing until all the PhD and MFA students were allocated. Sucks to be us. Hence the drama and the very late assignment date. While it was out of their direct control, Merage got caught with their pants down here. As soon as they saw that new policy they should have taken steps to ensure their students were taken care of. Something I will have to raise when I get there.
Oh well, another task to strike off my list.
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3 comments:
I can sympathize...arranging housing in Irvine has been frustrating. So far, those living in Vista Del Campo Norte next year can't move in until Sept. 16th. This may change... but since I'm coming from Boston, it's making things complicated.
Michelle,
That is awful about our new class not being able to move into their pad until the 16th! This is really going to put a kink in our orientation. Have any alternate arrangements been made? If not, Lindsey and I will have one spare bedroom and an inflatable matress and we are willing to make room for some people. See my next blog post.
Thanks for the offer, how generous. I've emailed the school to see if they can help in anyway. I imagine that this must be problematic for other admits. Even if an earlier move-in date is planned, I need to know ASAP in order to coordinate my move from Boston. I guess we'll see.
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