Dear Editor,
While I appreciate the Spinnaker’s article Jan. 29 entitled “Fountains expensive but worth it for students,” I’d like to clarify a couple of points from the editorial that ran that same week.
A commonly unrecognized fact regarding UNF housing rates compared to area properties is that student residents pay an all-inclusive amount for rent, electricity, water, heat/A/C, cable, wireless internet service, 24-hour maintenance, all programs, speakers, activities, etc. – making the cost of living on-campus quite competitive.
Plus, resident students are offered in-home delivery of a number of campus services such as academic advising, counseling and access to faculty presentations that are not available to commuter students.
The editorial also compared last year’s prices to this year’s prices, but since Osprey Fountains did not exist last year, this price comparison is not comparable.
We believe Osprey Fountains is one of the best residential complexes in the nation and most affordable, considering the amenities: two heated swimming pools, a fitness center, aerobic studio, state-of-the-art technology, meeting rooms and an outdoor recreational complex with tennis, volleyball, basketball and racquetball courts, a running track and putting green.
Housing must be run like a business, with rental revenues equaling or exceeding expenses.
Living on campus offers students a living, learning environment conductive to rich academic and out-of-classroom experiences. It provides the opportunity for students to make new life-long friends, become a part of the larger community, and by so doing, partake in cultural and social experiences that result in a successful and transformed college journey.
Dr. Mauricio Gonzalez
Vice President for Student and International Affairs
Zac • Aug 2, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Dr. Gonzalez,
Do you believe it was appropriate for UNF to build the biggest and best dorms in history? Could that money have been used elsewhere? Who would chose to pay $650 dollars a month (6 person suite, double occupancy room, cheapest available in the fountains) to live on campus when rent literally on the beach can be easily found for $350-$400? Also, commuter students have complete access to academic advising, lectures, and counseling services. It is my belief that UNF housing should not be run like a business. Businesses turn a profit. I am sick and tired of being profited on by the UNF bookstore, housing, and parking services. The mere fact that UNF would take advantage of college students is appalling. It is a clear fact that college students do not have much money. Many are buried in debt. Expecting us or our parents to foot the bill for the “Donald Trump Dorms” is not only ridiculous, its embarrassing.