College Nein

The University of York have announced they plan to financially reward those second and third year students who return to campus accommodation, amid fears that an increasing number of college rooms will no longer be filled.

The scheme will see groups of students who choose to remain in University accommodation awarded £100 cash back, after concerns were raised that the approved plans for the creation of a ninth college on Heslington East will leave the University with a large accommodations shortfall.

As revealed by Vision back in November, the college will house 650 new students, with work due to be completed by October 2014.
University Registrar David Duncan told Vision that the ultimate aim of the project was “to change the mix of students to bring back more upper years and postgraduates in the colleges so they become more rounded communities.

“We would like to change the culture and to interest groups of students in addition to individual students.

“That’s why we now have introduced incentives like the £100 cash back offer and have increased rents by less than inflation.

“We are confident we will fill the colleges in 2013-14. In the following year, when College 9 opens, we only need to attract an additional 600 out of 10,000 students to comeback.”
The move has led some to question the wisdom in pushing on with the increase in University accommodation if there is not significant demand.

YUSU President Kallum Taylor told vision that his position on College Nine is “clear,”

“We completely support the University’s growth, but the services and infrastructure of the whole campus must grow with it too.

“The problems which students and the University have faced over there already will be magnified further if not – and if they’re wanting more students to live back on campus by taking on the private sector more then this seriously needs bearing in mind.

“The campus should feel like a home, it should feel safe, and it should also be a vibrant and attractive place to live.

“We’ll be making representations to the City Council to ensure that this is considered as part of planning permission.”

Opinions on whether the cash incentive will prove enough to entice second and third years back onto campus has been mixed.

Second year history of art student Katie Thomas told Vision: “Whilst the rents in a lot of areas in the city keep on getting higher,” there is still a bit of a “stigma” about living on campus.
“The most important thing is being able to live with your friends, and if there was a viable way of doing that on campus then it might become a more attractive option.”