Forced into exile from Exeter
STUDENTS AT EXETER College are in uproar over a shortage of college rooms for finalists, with only 35 out of 94 students being awarded rooms in the college's central Oxford site.
In a recent survey of Oxford accommodation, Exeter claimed that all undergraduates could live in college-owned property with "finalists and first years normally on the college site".
In reality, however, although all students are given rooms on-site in their first year, no second years and only around 50% of third and forth years are able to live in college.
Exeter College's Home Bursar, Ms Susan Marshall, told the Oxford Student that there are no fewer rooms available than in previous years and that the crisis is due to a higher than average number of modern linguists returning to college accommodation for their fourth year. She also explained that changes in the ballot system run by the JCR meant that some students were getting three out of four years in on-site accommodation.
Ms. Marshall denied accusations that the prospectus was misleading and claimed, had she been a prospective sixth-former, she "would have understood what was going on".
Students have expressed disappointment at the separation of the year group and many have grave concerns about the financial implications of living-out, with one student referring to the "big financial burden".
Several students have written letters of complaint to the college authorities. However, Ms Marshall admitted there was very little Exeter College can do because it simply does not have the space to build new rooms.
Exeter College told the Oxford Student that they have no plans to change the wording of the prospectus to avoid disappointment on such a scale occurring again.
9th Jan 2003