Universities mull dorm issues

SPACE PROBLEM:Providence University president Tang Chuan-yi said universities are content with dormitories and not worrying whether they have enough room

By Wu Po-hsuan, Rachel Lin and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporters, with staff writer

Insufficient dorm space is infringing on students’ right to education, academics said, adding that the situation is hampering the nation’s appeal to foreign students.

The Ministry of Education reiterated that it would not directly subsidize universities’ efforts to build new dorms, but added that universities could apply for central government subsidies to pay off interest on loans for construction purposes.

According to ministry statistics, 355,277 students applied for dormitory space last year, but universities and junior colleges had room for just 308,300, meaning 46,977 applicants had to find other accommodation.

Of those applying for dorms, only 281,743 students moved in, while 292,406 students rented rooms off campus, showing that most students lived off-campus, the ministry said.

The figures did not include rooms in build-operate-transfer (BOT) dormitories, the ministry said.

Providence University president Tang Chuan-yi (唐傳義) said he saw dormitory education as a necessity for university life.

New students are able to bond with the school, the dorms and their surroundings if they are able to stay in dorms, where they will be guided by staff and more senior students, he said.

Many foreign universities guarantee dormitories for students and corporations are financing construction of additional facilities, Tang said, adding that it was sad Taiwan’s universities were content with having dormitories and not caring whether they had enough.

Such a situation means that not only are students unable to get a dormitory space, it also diminishes the appeal of Taiwanese universities among foreign students considering a degree in Taiwan, Tang said.

National Taiwan University (NTU) Department of Student Affairs director Chen Tsung-fu (陳聰富) said the university faces the same problem, adding that it was only able to provide dorms for students from out of town.

NTU plans to overcome this difficulty in the long term by seeking BOT dormitory projects with construction companies, Chen said.

The university is expected to build another dormitory on campus at the intersection of Keelung and Xinhai roads, Chen said, adding that due to high property prices in Taipei, it would be greatly appreciated if the government had spare land it could use.

Department of Higher Education Director Nicole Lee (李彥儀) said private universities are faced with having to close down due to the declining birth rate.

The ministry is obliged to help universities transition as smoothly as possible, but should universities be forced to close, using that land for dormitories, provided the locations are suitable, is a distinct possibility, Lee said.

If there are unused classrooms in junior-high or elementary schools, they could also be used as dormitories, Lee said.

Also, there was a suggestion at a higher-education forum in August that urban universities could collaborate with nearby schools to build dorms, Lee said.