More than 100 Georgetown rising juniors who requested to live on-campus next year have been denied their junior year of preference, causing many to express dismay at having to change their living plans for next year.

Last year, 270 rising juniors were denied preference for their junior year, prompting the university to change its protocol for determining preference.

Peter Denton (COL ’03), one of the students who was denied preference, felt the process was fair but was disappointed with the result.

“It’s pretty frustrating,” he said, “I was prepared for it after the protests last year, but it’s still frustrating.” Denton expressed concern that, though the preference lottery was moved to November, his chances of finding off-campus housing are limited.

The precise number of students who did not get their preference had not been released at press time and Karen Frank, the executive director of Student Housing and Facilities did not return a phone call and an e-mail.

Dan Wales (COL ’03) was also frustrated by the limited amount of time to search for housing alternatives. He said he felt that university publications of available off-campus residences are unsatisfactory.

“It would help if we had a better guide to the houses in this area and contact information for landlords.”

Wales also said that it is especially difficult to look for housing during the hectic final exam period.

The Office of Housing and Conference Services moved the housing preference lottery this year to November, following a meeting with members of GUSA and InterHall. InterHall Predisent Heath Carter (COL ’03) said that the meeting was arranged in response to overwhelming student demand to move the lottery to the fall. Carter, along with other student representatives, then met with Shirley Menendez, Director of Housing Services, and the new plan was implemented. Menendez refused to comment.

OHCS then sent out a series of three e-mails starting Sept. 7 to inform students of the change. These e-mails indicated that the last day to register for the lottery was Nov. 17. Students could choose whether they wanted their third year of housing in their junior or senior year, but OHCS could not guarantee that these requests would be met if too many students opted for one of the years. A computerized, random selection program determined preference. According to the e-mails, any student who failed to register for the lottery in time would forfeit their third year of housing.

The e-mails also indicated that students who might decide to go abroad in the fall of their junior could defer their preference to senior year. In addition, those students who desired a fourth year of on-campus housing could be put on a waiting list.

Carter felt that, though the new process is not perfect, it is the most feasible solution to the on-campus housing shortage.

“It’s the best possible scenario without a doubt,” he said. “I know a lot of people have been disappointed [by not getting their preference] but those are the same people who would’ve been disappointed in March. Now they have three extra months to find housing.”

However, several students felt that they were not given sufficient notice by OHCS of the impending deadline for the lottery. As a result, they were unable to declare their preferences in time.

Mark Largess (SFS ’03) did not indicate his preference in time. He felt that OHCS should not have waited until four hours before the deadline to give their urgent warning e-mail.

“They sent one e-mail Nov. 6 and then waited until Nov. 17 to send another. I think they should’ve sent at least one more e-mail in between those dates, maybe the night before the deadline.”

Largess contacted OHCS after the deadline and was given preference for his senior year.

These changes in the preference lottery came after last year’s housing crisis in which 270 students unexpectedly had their third year of on-campus housing deferred from junior to senior year. Those students were not informed of this decision until Feb. 7, leaving them little time to search for off-campus homes. The housing shortage led to student demonstrations to protest the university’s response to the situation. In an attempt to solve the problem, the university signed a lease with the Virginian Suites in Rosslyn, Va. to accommodate students. Ultimately, a number of rooms opened up for rising juniors because rising seniors that no longer wanted their third year of on-campus housing made rooms available, causing the university to break its lease with the Virginian Suites.