As more and more students flocked to St. John’s University, competition for spots in the residence village grew increasingly fierce. Left without many options, the university was forced to look outside of its gated community to find accommodations for resident students. While the transition may have had some rocky beginnings, the University’s efforts are definitely bearing fruit.

While many resident students cried out against what was perceived as being “kicked off campus,” the University worked hard to address the concerns of its residents. While the resident situation may not be perfect, the University deserves a pat on the back for the job it has done with a difficult to manage situation.

The original shuttle bus service was adequate, but didn’t exactly meet the needs of all students. This year, the University has used a different service, changed the times and managed to keep it running on a tight schedule. In addition, the service to Kew Gardens has been increasingly reliable.

The addition of the late night van service between campus and the dormitories has also helped to address many safety concerns for students and parents. Public Safety is consistently a strong component of the St. John’s community, and they have continued that tradition in helping students adjust to off-campus living.

Public Safety has also been very accommodating by sending out courtesy vans after shuttle hours to ensure that students don’t have to walk back late at night. This has been a very welcome addition, particularly for anyone who justifiably finds a late night stroll through Queens to be a bit nerve-wracking.

The Internet and network issues that originally plagued the off campus dormitories have been greatly alleviated. In fact, even the guest network has been extended to some off-campus dorms. The discrepancies between the network on-campus and the networks off-campus are getting less and less noticeable.

The network issues (as well as television issues) may seem a bit trivial, but fixing them shows that St. John’s is committed to providing just as rich of an experience to the resident students who live outside of the residence village.

The small touches and conveniences of being on-campus are being extended to those who live outside of the Queens campus, and the University is rolling these conveniences out pretty smoothly. While these may not seem like drastic changes, they are evidence that the University is listening to concerns and working to address the issues around resident living.

With the increased reliability and visibility of the shuttle service, students are using the service more and doing so with increased confidence. At times now, the once underutilized shuttles are filled to the point where

it’s standing room only.

We applaud the University for their great job of introducing and improving the shuttle service and amenities that affect off-campus residents. While there’s always room for improvement, the University has done a great job so far. They deserve credit for their efforts, and encouragement to keep improving and simplifying the lives of both on and off-campus residents.