Concerns caused by overcrowding
Increased student population at the U of R
There is something paradoxically joyous and frustrating about seeing such overwhelming floods of people on campus every day. It’s both anxiety-inducing and inspires some form of hope. On one hand, I think, “Look at all of these people working hard and receiving a post-secondary education!” On the other hand, I think, “Why do I have to work so much harder to maneuver through these hallways?”
It’s easy enough to see the packed hallways and just be frustrated by it, but there are real questions that we, as students who do value our educations and should take pride in the institution which we affiliate ourselves with, should be asking about how this year’s student population surge affects our environment and the lives of our fellow students.
Firstly, after having interviewed a handful of students about this issue for another piece, I have been thinking a lot about how we ended up with such a high enrolment level this year. Maybe part of the surge comes from the fact that it has now been almost five years since the beginning of the pandemic, or that the university’s appeal has gone up.
What program is appealing to these new students? Where are they coming from? Whatever has prompted the surge, we know that it has started at the admissions office. What does it mean for the success of U of R students for the enrolment rate to be what it is?
If a student is admitted to university with a 65 per cent high school average, and from there their grades drop even just 20 per cent due to the expected pressures of university, that leaves them failing. Where is the room for them to succeed? How many students are failing?
Maybe the more important question is, how do the fairly low admission requirements affect the institution? How much money are they receiving from that enthusiastic first year tuition before things fall apart for those students not prepared? In other words, is it a cash grab?
Don’t get me wrong, I think it is absolutely wonderful how welcoming the U of R is, and how many people can come here and get an education. Post-secondary schooling is incredibly important. However, if the school as an institution has any slight malicious intention behind having such low admission requirements in so many faculties, it is not fair to any of their students, whether they are struggling, doing just fine, or soaring through their academic pursuits.
It is unfair in many small, everyday ways, too, other than people clustering and worsening the efficiency of hallway movement. For example, study spots seem harder to get your hands on. I’ve had to traverse three or four buildings before to find a decent one. The library is filling up faster and faster, and places like Ad Hum which are undergoing construction already have limited space.
I’d also imagine there’s an increase in demand for housing. What will this do to cost projections for on-campus rent next year? How does it affect those working on the U of R housing team? How much is parking slowed down? Are classes filling up faster? Are appointments with advisors filling up? As students, aren’t these things we should be investigating?
