“Desperate Shortage” Of Students’ Board

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30976, 4 February 1966, Page 17

“Desperate Shortage” Of Students’ Board

The University of Canterbury is facing “a desperate shortage” of board for firstyear students, according to the new boarding bursar (Mrs Margaret Cooper). She appealed yesterday for families willing to take students to call her urgently at the university.

At present 100 young men who will study at Ham. 50 who will study in the city, and 25 young women spread between the two sites have applied for help, but only about half a dozen homes are on the books. “These young people are recommended by the university, they are willing to pay ruling rates, and the fact that they seek accommodation in private homes indicates that they are reliable,” said Mrs Cooper. “The odd cases of trouble with students usually arise when they are living alone in rooms.”

Mrs Cooper said the university’s aim was to be able to direct all first-year students who applied to suitable, private board. This was desirable because they were usually strangers to Christchurch, away from home for the first time, and wanted something like home. After a year they became familiar with the city, could make their own arrangements, and were usually mature enough to consider rooms, flats, or other arrangements. Several trends aggravated the shortage. The university roll was increasing every year. Having found good board in their first year many students stayed on there until they finished their course, and the greater numbers at Ham

with fine arts, engineering, and now science had raised the demand for board in that part of Christchurch. Mrs Cooper said the university would examine the board offered and try to match the student recommended to the family concerned.

Mrs Norma Jacobs, the new assistant liaison officer, is concerned with building up lists of homes willing to board students over a long term. She said the growth of the university suggested that the need would increase for many years.

“Christchurch is proud of its university and the public can help greatly by offering board to first-year students in particular,” Mrs Jacobs said. “We want to build up a tradition that it is ‘a done thing’ to accommodate a student.” In this way individual families could help students, help the university, and probably gain a good deal of interest from the experience. Mrs Jacobs said she and Mrs Cooper would welcome calls from persons who might consider boarding students even several years ahead. Ideally they would like to know of homes which would always have a student so that when one left, another could be put in. The new halls of residence planned as a result of the recent appeal would help, but there was always a need for private board. The university would give all possible help but this depended almost entirely on public good will.