The Office of Residence Life will be changing the room selection process for the 2006-2007 school year to try and better “strengthen the learning community,” according to the an informational packet mailed to all resident students.

This year, to be eligible for housing on campus, students must be in good financial standing with the school, not have any outstanding payments, not be on probation, have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above, and meet the deposit deadline.

The new process is a point system rather than the lottery that was used last year. Students are only eligible to earn points if they pay their deposits on time. Points are awarded based on their judicial history with the school and their GPA, 10 points possibly in each category for a total of 20, and those with the highest point total get first pick of rooms, according to the information packet, “Room Selection 2006-2007.”

According to Vanessa Strickley, DaSilva Hall’s Resident Director, the change in policy is designed to “encourage those doing well in our community to continue on.” In line with this policy, judicial history and GPA are playing more of a part in selection than they were last year, and sophomores are no longer guaranteed housing.

In last year’s lottery system, incoming and current freshmen were guaranteed housing and all upperclassmen eligible for housing were given equal chance of receiving a room on campus.

Danny Para, a sophomore Resident Assistant in DaSilva Hall recalls that he thought last years system was “a bit unfair.”

“People who didn’t deserve housing got it over people who did deserve housing,” he said.

Deposits are due Feb. 27 by 7 p.m. in the Bursar’s Office and on March 13 all students who meet the eligibility requirements will receive a roommate request form, which must be returned to the Office of Residence Life. Late deposits will not be accepted by the office.

Each student’s score (judicial history plus GPA) will be used to determine the order in which housing is awarded. For students who request roommates, the average score of all the roommates will be used to determine their order of assignment.

However, not all students who are eligible for housing will receive it. Those students who meet the requirements for housing but are not selected for housing can request that their name be put on a waiting list.

According to the housing handout, distance from the University will be the largest consideration on the waiting list and if any rooms open after selection, students on the waiting list will be informed.

Reactions among the student body are mixed.

“The new system is better,” said Evo Rachev, a freshman living in Donovan Hall. “[I’m] a good student and I don’t have any violations.”

However Tasha Villard, a freshman in Hollis Hall, was worried abut the new system because it didn’t assure housing to sophomores.

“Not a lot of people are from here,” Villard said. “I’m from Florida. Where am I going to stay if I’m not assured housing?”