Student Publications
University of Houston
151C Communications Bldg
Houston, TX 77204-4015
713.743.5350

©1991-2007
Student Publications,
All rights reserved.

Last modified:

Contact:
ktruitt@uh.edu

News

Study seeking campus views

Online survey gathers student opinions on UH housing options, food services, meal plans

by tina marie macias

Students may give their opinions on campus housing in an online survey through the end of the week.

"It's good for all the students to feel like they have an opportunity to voice their opinion," Vice President for Student Affairs Elwyn C. Lee said. "Everybody's being asked -- both on-campus and off-campus -- to voice their opinions about what they think we should do in the future and about what we have now."

Some of the questions on the survey are based on information collected from a series of housing focus groups last semester. The survey, developed by facility planning firm Brailsford & Dunlavey, lasts about 20 minutes and includes 45 questions.

"There's a challenge when you're doing a survey -- you want to get as much information, but you also can't have it be an hour long," Lee said. "I think we were able to get most of the things I was interested in in the survey."

Among the questions is whether mandatory meal plans are necessary for residents.

"What we wanted to understand is how food services impacts people's view on housing," Lee said. "If we get that kind of information early enough, we'll share it with the people on the food service committee, because that might impact what they want to do."

The survey also presents a campus map with nine possible housing locations marked and asks students to choose their favorite location for future construction.

"These are possible places," Lee said. "They haven't been designated -- just where's there land large enough to put housing."

Students taking the survey may also choose room layouts from eight options and prices. They include a community-style residence hall, one-bedroom double occupancy with communal bathrooms, for $350 a month, a double-occupancy four-bedroom suite with living room and private bath for $400 per person a month and a single-occupancy one-bedroom apartment with a living room, kitchen and private bathroom for $700.

The survey also asks whether students would like interest-group housing that would put students from the same professional schools, graduate or honors programs or majors together. In addition, it asks what amenities, like grocery stores, bars and coffee shops, students would like near campus housing.

"With the massive population, we're looking for what would be convenient for students," Director of Learning Assessment Patrick Daniel said.

Students who take the survey may enter a drawing to win one of three Apple iPod Minis or one of four $100 Barnes & Noble gift cards.

To take the survey, visit www.facilityplanners.com/survey/uh/housing.
 

Send comments to dcnews@mail.uh.edu