Letters

University Studies needs a change

I am a mentor in the University Studies program. I am shocked at the politics involved in getting us to protest as well as the peer pressure. For this reason I am to remain anonymous in my comments about this whole thing. However, I will not remain silent.

I am happy to have been provided the opportunity to be a grad mentor and am approaching the end of my studies here at PSU. I would like other students to have the same opportunity that I had if they were chosen as a mentor, but after being a mentor I do believe that some changes need to happen. For one, whenever changes are made to a program is should be inappropriate for mentors, the director of mentors, and director of University Studies to lobby for a position.

Why? Because this makes life for mentors who do not want to get involved hell. Talk about peer pressure when it comes to taking a side. I did not come to college to be manipulated like this. Also, when I signed up as a mentor nowhere did it say I would have to pledge an allegiance to the director of mentors and the director of UNST as well as other mentors. It’s about the students, stupid!

Although faculty might seem to be absent from this whole debate, my faculty agrees that mentors should be re-thought. My relationship with my faculty partner has been great, but I have heard and seen situations where the mentor trumps the instructor. I find that odd.

I am glad to be leaving but do hope that something is done to improve the program. Who knows, maybe hire a new director of mentors and new director of UNST. I think it is about time this happened.

AnonymousPSU studentPortland

Rent hike not easy to swallow

The Feb. 14 story, “Proposal would increase rent by 3 percent,” referred to the fact that while last year’s housing rates saw a detrimental 9 percent hike, this year, depending on the building, we can expect a 3-5 percent increase. The article seemed to imply that compared to last year’s attempts to cut the Residence Life program and the huge increases in rates, this percentage is easier to swallow.

The number may be less, however, the action is still damaging. As a student who could never afford to live on campus because of how expensive the rates are, I am frustrated at seeing housing costs on campus constantly increase without much thought as to how this affects the hundreds of students who are already struggling to make ends meet.

Furthermore, the proposed payment shift from monthly to yearly or term-by-term also poses significant problems for non-traditional students who cannot afford to be nailed to a long-term contract. How can we ever expect to work for a greater community when we are constantly forcing our students out of on-campus housing and into affordable options miles away from PSU? The university needs to understand the importance of college housing and the service it should be providing to all students.

They need to begin to adequately fund housing so that rates do not continue to rise. I will be at the open hearings this week and I would encourage my peers to be there and show the university that we as students refuse to have their budgetary gaps balanced on our backs and that we are tired of being priced out of our education, our homes, and our futures.

Patrick Beisell PSU student