Throughout the 2023-24 academic year, the B wing in the sophomore residence building Erickson has been undergoing renovations.
However, this does not mean the price tag will be any different for students across unrenovated wings next year.
In fact, it will be the same price as the other wings.
Built back in 1966, the rising risk of asbestos and aged pipes created a need for repair, closing the wing off this school year.
With the wing being closed off, some sophomores were moved into dorm buildings that traditionally sophomore students would not be living in, such as Westerlin.
As of writing this, the wing is not able to house students, but as the new academic year begins there is the hope that it will be ready to house the new sophomores. But with this comes the cost of living at Augustana, as do other schools with its students.
When the renovated wing in Erickson is done, the cost of living there will be the same price as the wings that were not renovated.
This means that the wings which are still the same from when the building was built will be the same price as the new wing, which has overall nicer living conditions, making the fact that the cost is the same unreasonable.
A better way to put this is if a landlord was renting an apartment to students and only had one portion of the building redone and did nothing else but still charged the same price as before.
The circumstances would not be fair to those who would be living in the older apartments.
The prices for the wings should be different. Students claim some of the wings in Erickson, the D and B wing, have been infamously known for mold and mice.
For the students who will end up living in the new wing in Erickson, they should be charged a different price than those who will be in the older wings.
Another argument could be made that the entire Erickson building should be renovated before the school year begins, but as of right now, Augustana does not have the time or resources to do so before students return in the fall.
Yes, the students who will be staying over the summer could be moved to another residence building but Augustana will still not have enough time when the students come in for the academic year.
Being clear and concise on the reasons behind why Augie is charging the newly renovated wing the same as the ones that aren’t would give students and parents peace of mind about where they’re putting their money.
If Augustana were to charge a cheaper price for those who will be living in the wings that are not renovated, I think it would give the rising sophomores and future students a better chance at living in the dorms at a cheaper rate.
