Eileen Poh | poh.eileen@nus.edu.sg
the ridge news
A NUSSU Publication
Apr. 1, 2008
Story Highlights:
- Many students were not offered accommodation on campus due to high level of CCA points requirement
- Foreign students were seriously affected by the allocation results
- Students petitioned through Facebook and graffiti
- Dialogue session with OSA and facilitated by NUSSU will be held.
The on-campus accommodation allocation results released on Mar. 27 took students by surprise, as the cut-off level of Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) points for the various residences, which is the determining factor of allocation results, was unexpectedly high.
A lack of proper explanation from the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) did little to appease students as many gathered outside the OSA’s office at Yusof Ishak House (YIH) on Mar. 28.
Students have also scribbled a petition on the blackboard outside the YIH Student Lounge in protest.
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| Petition signed by students on the blackboard outside YIH Student Lounge. The words |
| “Give Us Room @ NUS” were clearly visible. |
| (Photo By: Eileen Poh). |
Several students approached by The Ridge speculated the rejection rate to be at its highest in the past five years.
The problem is especially serious among the foreign students, as an unsuccessful application would mean the loss of a roof over their heads.
“We have no family here and therefore have no place to go,” said Anabella Belanie Gloria Spittel, a Communications and New Media student who is currently residing at the Kuok Foundation House (KFH).
Many are also worried that they will not have the luxury of time to source for off-campus accommodation with tight project deadlines and the upcoming exams.
Holding the search for accommodation until the vacation period is not possible, as many foreign students have planned to return home during the holidays.
“Because most of us go back home, we can’t be looking for accommodation while we are in our home country,” said Manavi Bhardwaj, a second-year student from India. “So that is a big problem.”
The problem does not end there. High housing prices are deterring many to seek accommodation outside campus.
“Most of us are on loans and this would add onto our financial pressure,” said Spittel.
Besides the loss of accommodation, many students are also frustrated that their efforts to work hard for CCA points in the past semester are not paying off.
“If there was a high demand for accommodation, OSA could have given us notice maybe about three months back so that we can work harder for the points,” said Bhardwaj,
Chong Kwek Yan, a fourth year student from the Faculty of Science, also sympathized with the rejected applicants.
“I feel it is unfair when their efforts to do CCA came out to be nothing,” said Chong.
CCA points are tabulated via The Revised Hall Admission Points System (RHAPS), a programme in which undergraduates are awarded points for their involvement in university and hall activities.
Only those who meet the cut-off points will get a room in the halls or residences.
However, the RHAPS system is far from an administrative panacea.
Only the top eight categories of activities are considered for point computation, hence an individual who earned points in 10 categories of activities would only have his eight highest categories considered, with points in his other two deemed obsolete.
“It does not matter how many activities we do,” said Spittel. “Rather, we have to hold ‘Exco ‘(Executive) positions in at least five categories of activities if we want to stay back.
“And that, is ridiculous by any standard,” she added.
The point system that aims to inculcate well-rounded individuals appears to be backfiring.
Bhardwaj commented that the point system is adding pressure to students’ lives. She said: “People end up doing CCAs for the points.”
The CCA points required for accommodation at Prince George’s Park (PGP) and Kuok Foundation House is 45 points, according to the OSA.
This means that an individual has to be part of the two executive committees in two different categories to stay on in PGP or KFH.
Several students also note that the point ceiling for each category is inherently unfair towards individuals who are proficient in only one or two fields.
The high rejection rate now has students moving.
A Facebook account named “Give Us Room@NUS” was set up in a bid to mobilise students on the issue. To date, the group has 353 members.
Bhardwaj, the creator of the group, hopes to get everyone together in directing the anger and frustration into a common goal.
“We are not doing this because we don’t have accommodation,” she said. “It is more like we are doing it because the system is so unfair and we want to bring about a change to it.”
| Facebook account created by students |
| (Photo credit: Eileen Poh) |
The group had met up with representatives from National University of Singapore Students’ Union (NUSSU) Monday evening, Mar. 31, to discuss the possible solutions.
Both the president and vice-president of NUSSU were present at the meeting.
The NUSSU representatives have agreed to speak to the OSA and arrange an open dialogue session.
Binh Nguyen, ex-president of the Students Against Violation of the Earth (SAVE) society who was present at the meeting, said that now is not the time to point fingers but rather, to find a solution.
I was pretty surprised when I realised the magnitude of the problem. It seemed like every other person had been rejected. I hope that even if OSA is unable to provide those rejected with rooms, they will at least facilitate their hunting process.
[...] High Rejection Rate For Campus Accommodation Shock Students The on-campus accommodation allocation results released on Mar. 27 took many students by surprise, as the cut-off level of CCA points for various residences were exceptionally high. [...]
why r nus students so obsessed with getting a room in their hostels? it’s like end of the world like dat. foreign students fr the polytechnics have to find acommoodation fr day 1. talk abt world class students fr a global uni? lol!
room near NUS (such as clementi and dover or west coast has reached high to 700~800 for a double-bed HDB room….
its not an obsession. its a matter of necessity thats why foreign students are making a big deal out of it. unlike poly, there is a much larger number of foreign students in uni, most of which are on loans and scholarships. most of us do not even have the means to live outside because of the high rental rates.
its bad enough that hostel fees have increased with no improvement at all, especially in residences like RVR. now they have to cut off so many students, most of who are in actual need while giving away the limited rooms they have to exchange students who obviously can afford outside accomodation since most of them spend their weekends and holidays touring asia, singaporean students who live nearby but stay in hall anyway coz of the independence, friends, etc., and undeserving (think lazy) people who got 45+ points simply because they know “someone”.
And there’s no system to check at all if a students’ points are even valid, or if there is an actual need for a room. and there is no increased effort to help rejected students get accomodation outside either, especially now that they have rejected more than a thousand.
Its not fair at all. International students, especially those on loans and scholarships work our ass off to maintain our GPAs while at the same time doing all sorts of CCAs like joining sports activities and various societies, joining cultural performances and bazaars and spending hours manning booths. Most of us have already stretched ourselves thin this schoolyear. Yet all our efforts seem to have gone to waste.
How not to be “obsessed”?
I personally believe there is something fishy about this high rejection rate…
I think the fishiness of the high rejection has to do with NUS becoming incorporated. Let me explain.
As NUS becomes a corporation, it becomes more and more important for it to generate profits for its shareholders and in that sense, doesn’t really care if the fees are too high, the amount of loans given to students can’t be paid off in a lifetime, or students don’t get accommodation.
Jokes aside, I think Myriel’s post above clearly explains why we should not be obsessed with finding accommodation. Littlebee has no idea what he/she is talking about.
And btw, here’s a guy with 60 points who didn’t apply for accommodation. (Don’t as me why!)
The rejection rate is higher because more people applied, not because fewer students got rooms.
Looking at the statistics, more students got rooms than last AY.
Bhardwaj, if OSA can predict the demand for accommodation, they won’t even need CCA cut off points.
If you think the current system is unfair, think of a perfectly fair system for everyone, not just for your own interests. If you can think of one which everyone can be happy with, fine, bring it on.
If you can only vent your anger and not provide something constructive, then I think you guys are not helping in the situation.
Fair or not, the RHAPS system has been there and has been known to all students from the start.
The ones who will complain loudly are those who do not get a room. Those who do get a room will just count their blessings.
Goodness.. the university is already providing you an education which you chose to take up here rather than back in your home country and you are bashing it for not providing more than what has been promised.
Myriel
The rooms are allocated based on CCA points attained, not based on need. Need is not the rule of the game.
“…..now they have to cut off so many students, most of who are in actual need while giving away the limited rooms they have to exchange students who obviously can afford outside accomodation since most of them spend their weekends and holidays touring asia…”
Go ask around and interact more. International students are also going on exchange programs, not just the local ones. And you think these people don’t deserve the rooms because they can afford one outside the campus?
Your argument seems to point that local students don’t slog to earn their points to earn their rooms.
Local students have to slog for CCA points from day 1 if they want a hostel room. This is in addition to having to adapt to hectic university life.
International students, on the other hand, can choose and have the luxury of not having to take part in CCA for the first two years of their studies and allocate more time for studies.
If you have specific evidence of students who got their 45 CCA points through “special” means, go ahead and report them to the authorities instead of making vague remarks here.
Nabeel, the university may be privatised now but it’s still not run at a profit. It still has to get funding from the government each year and this is public knowledge.
Please go get more knowledge by reading the Budget Estimate for each FY….
You people may have been encouraged to come to this country to study but don’t expect the Government to guarantee you hostel accommodation and jobs when you graduate!
If this university is not to your liking, perhaps you would like to return to your home country where conditions would be more favourable and you won’t feel so prejudiced….
Since “Goingtosamyshome” asked for specific instances where the points system ahs been abused, let me give an example. Let’s see what disciplinary action would be taken against the guilty.
According to OSA’s guidelines (or whoever wrote the rule book), an orientation group leader is due to get ONE point. yes ONE. And those from my faculty got the said one point… But later i learn that OGLs from Biz have been given 8 points. Now we both did the same job, except for the fact that it was in 2 different faculties, but yet such a discrepancy in points. And FASS gave students who went on flag day 6 points. (something that OGLs also have to do), and mind you this is something the CCA guidelines DONT even offer points. Of course, maybe my faculty cannot be blamed, as they were simply following the ‘rules’ but what about the other faculties that were giving away points so freely and (un-lawfully)……??????
I don’t need to give the names of those who DID get points, as it wasn’t their fault. It’s those who GAVE these points that should be disciplined. And if OSA really DOES want to refine the CCA system, here’s the chance, all they need to do is look up the points allocations for FOW for the respective faculties/clubs, take action agaisnt the culprits and set an example so that it wont happen in the future.
If OSA really does take action against the guilty parties who have been ‘giving away’ points, i’m sure they will have much fewer criticisms about their work.
To: “Goingtosamyshome”
There is a perfectly fair reason why international students are guaranteed accommodation for the first 2 years. They are give this cushioning period before they can adjust to a new culture and understand the dynamics of being independent in a new country. After these 2 years, they should have enough experience and maturity to move off-campus. However, the difficulty here is not just the inconvenience of living off-campus, but also the costs involved. Transportation, utilities, agent fees, security deposits, there is a whole range of additional costs, and as someone mentioned earlier, a lot of international students are already taking financial aid.
Secondly, no one expects the government to guarantee jobs or accommodation and to be honest your tone and use of language gives away that you are somewhat insecure about having international students here as they might take away ‘your’ jobs. Moreover, jobs have nothing to do with this discussion, so if you are finding it difficult to find one, please visit the nus ejobcentre website for help and suggestions.
Although some people do feel prejudiced, most students, both local and international, have come to terms with the fact that this was a systematic error that OSA should have been prepared to deal with. I fully agree that the RHAPS is a pretty sound system for hostel room allocation and there are hardly any feasible ideas that can be implemented to improve this. However, it is quite clear that this year the system has caught everyone (students and administrators) off guard, and it is disappointing to see that OSA did not have a solid contingency plan for all this. Personally, I am surprised to see that OSA could not anticipate the problem and come up with good solutions.
Lastly, housing needs have little to do with ‘liking’ the university or going back home and I feel that you are way off your line to suggest something like that. I don’t think you would tell the entire university to drop out because of fees hikes.
I just hope the OSA can come up with a good solution for all of us. I also hope that in the future, such problems should be identified as problems for NUS students, rather than a specific group. Regardless of where we come from, we are NUS students at the end of the day.
Quote from Goingtosamyshome:
“If this university is not to your liking, perhaps you would like to return to your home country where conditions would be more favourable and you won’t feel so prejudiced….”
Why is the moderating team tolerating such an infuriating remark aimed at the international student community.
The international community is an integral part of any University which boasts world class standards. NUS will do its best to import some of the best minds to Singapore. If the University is not to their liking they will surely just go somewhere else. Considering the huge drop in the uni rankings (more than 10 spots down and NUS has the nerve to advertise it on the home page saying “strong showing by NUS”), I wont be suprised if in the future the best international applicants will consider higher education elswhere.
Therefore, I advice you to get your head out of where-ever it is stuck, and be responsible in your comments. I think even the OSA themselves will admit the many loop-holes the CCA points system has. Franky I think there is something fishy going on too, or NUS made a mistake in estimating the demand for accomadation and their solution (in the form of accomadation at the new campus being built) will be about one year late, which is just dissapointing.
I think it does boil down to abuse of RHAPS in the end. Ever seen flyers for “free CCA points if you attend our meetings”? Looking at the Biz/FASS example, 6 – 8 points for events that don’t even require preparation at all is way too much. Have these points been brought up with NUSSU?
PERHAPS we could have more transparency across the board, like perhaps publishing the point distribution for events from each CCA or perhaps group the CCAs by type and audit the points at that level.
studentX
“Since “Goingtosamyshome” asked for specific instances where the points system ahs been abused, let me give an example.”
I asked for “specific evidence of students who got 45 CCA points through “special” means” because myriel said “and undeserving (think lazy) people who got 45+ points simply because they know “someone””
The example you gave on Biz OGLs getting 8 CCA points does not explain how they got that EIGHT points because they know someone. Now, are you saying they got 8 because the Biz faculty is not consistent with other faculties or you are saying that they got 8 points because they know someone who could give them 8?
Please clarify…
Also, is 8 points or 1 the correct one to give based on RHAPS? Is the giving of 8 points by the Biz Faculty to these students known to you before or after the computation of CCA points?
Has anyone here told OSA about this issue prior to the computation of CCA points and that OSA did not follow up on this?
Zein
I have a friend who is an international student who is without housing this coming semester. He told me that prior to making the decision to come to this country, he knew that accommodation is not guranteed after the second year of study. However, despite financially down, he still chose to come here as he felt that by working hard on CCAs, he will be able to get housing.
I then asked him if he had a backup plan if, despite all the hard work, he still could not get enough points to get housing, and he said no.
I know what the difficulty is faced by international students because I am one. I know it’s the money aspect but what I don’t understand is why students still choose to take risks (calculated or uncalculated) to study knowing well that they won’t be able to afford off-campus accommodation if they fail to secure on-campus accommodation and then later start to blame the university for the plight they are in.
The university did not gurantee housing for each year of study for international students and they didn’t because they know they don’t have enough and yet we, as guests here in this country fault them for not providing enough.
I won’t be surprised this behaviour would cause locals to resent international students. I am appalled by the insensitivity of some of the remarks made here about local students when the issue here concerns the international students who can get housing because of their CCA points being not high enough to meet the cutoff point.
I am not insecure about foreigners taking away my job because I am not a local. I just disagree with how the local students, who are my friends, are dragged into this issue with insensitive remarks.
And thank you very much, Zein. I know very well where to find jobs. I certainly did not need you to point out to me the online resources.
I am very surprised that international students who have been informed that housing is not guranteed always can still be surprised that they can be left without housing this coming semester.
Housing needs has litttle to do with liking the university. Disagreeing and criticising the system of housing allocation of a university that is not in our home country and yet still choosing to stay put in that very system that you dislike / disagree with so much makes me feel that you are contradicting yourselves.
I certainly won’t tell you to drop out of the university because of fee hikes but if you choose to complain about it and refuse to accept it, I feel you should just get out of the system totally and put youselves out of this misery.
Remember, we are guests in this country. You choose to come here for your own reasons. No one is forcing us to come here.
PD
The local student community got dragged into this comment box by myriel first. I just don’t see the need to mention local students categorically with comments such as “singaporean students who live nearby but stay in hall anyway coz of the independence, friends, etc.” Is myriel insinuating that local students should not even apply for housing because they are living much nearer to campus than any of the international students? Mind you, these are my friends too… And who is standing up for the local student community here?
I am holding responsiblity for my comments and I challenge you to protect the local students and accord them respect as much as you do to the international students here by not allowing others to drag them into this issue because this will only put us, the international students in bad light.
It is amazing how you people choose to attack the system right after learning that you were not successful in getting accommodation. I’m sure that all of you were aware of its existence right from the start. Why keep quiet until now? The reason why you guys are boo-hooing about how ‘unfair’ the criteria are, is because you wont take the trouble, like your predecessors, to look for accommodation elsewhere. Before you start raving at me…keep in mind; you were aware of the existence of the system all along. And why keep mum before? Because you were guaranteed spaces the first 2 years, that’s why. Tell that to those who have rooms now. Whether or not they have worked hard for it, as some of you suggest, is besides the point. You had your chance to blow the whistle. You didn’t.
But now that you have, I believe that OSA is looking into how else to allocate rooms other than using CCA points.
For those of you asking for a solution from OSA, which in your language means “I wan it now boo hoo…” you have already been told of the various solutions. Some things are feasible now, some are not. Maybe if your friends are willing to share their rooms with you, you can bunk in with them. Besides, that was a solution offered by one of the students at the briefing right?
“so what are the student suppose to do now? go back to our home countries and wait till 2010? It seems to me at OSA has not put ‘emselves into the students’ shoes and consider our welfare. all the talk of 2010 is meaningless to those who are without housing this year.”
tj78, before you ask OSA to put themselves in students’ shoes, put yourselves in theirs. What kind of immediate solutions do you want OSA to provide for you? You want them to sieve out ‘cheaters’ so that the lot of you can get rooms? They may implement that. But till that day comes, you’d have to be an adult and face the ugly reality of it. If not, you’d probably have to wait till 2010.
For those citing financial reasons…. again, this was made known to you way in advance. Need I say more?
Sarcastic remarks aside, be responsible. You people are adults for goodness sakes. Oh wait…maybe not…
From ex international student.
Lol, y do u peeps like to bold ur words???
ir’s kinda sad to see so many international students without a roof over their head!!:(
Seriously, why aren’t international students given priority for accommodation?
(Edited for spelling and punctuation)
i don’t see how the bitterness and sarcasm helps, Goingtosamyshome.
You have valid points, and I suppose the reaction seems a little immature when compared to other institutions. but there has been a reliance on the system and when it gives way, you cannot NOT expect a certain amount of shock.
as an ex-international student, as you say, you would be aware of the general culture of certain groups of NUS students-not pointing fingers- and should take that into account instead of trying to come off as arrogant and dismissive as you do now.
i do hope students who have not been able to get accommodation can band together once again to rent rooms together. be brave; that’s how the world is.
i know people who arrive in new york and have to stay in the worst places for a while… the world has no place for ppl who want to be comfortable all the time.
Don’t forget that people in the ghettos still complain about living in the ghetto. On one hand, the system does feel like it doesn’t care about the people and it’s not exactly something that cannot be changed. It’s not very comforting to read on a webpage that “your application for campus accomodation has failed”, and there’s very little support structure to help people make the transition. Cold. The announcement also comes at a very horrible time: the middle of Semester 2, which only a few people have the time to go scout for accomodation, and for those who are not staying back in Singapore, it means having to find accomodation before even coming back; a rather risky proposition. Otherwise, international students will be sleeping in the streets (or rather, become bench campers). It’s also a heavier financial burden, rental prices outside can amount to twice on campus (but it’s going up anyway).
I guess it’s only fair to all students that everybody gets an opportunity to stay. There are some local students who have to travel 1:30 to get to school, and international students already get 2 years guaranteed. Come to think of it, the system is pretty meritocratic, and meritocracy is blind towards need. That probably works both ways — you theoretically could get hall stay even if your parents owned a place on Heng Mui Keng Terrence. It’s just too bad that “merit” here rather arbitrarily defined as “CCA points”.
I don’t know about international students being able to allocate more time to studies than a local student; we really don’t have the conveniences attached with homestay such as a family vehicle, and the things that our parents help us do back when I was still in my country. With the freedom (from nagging moms and babysitting) comes the responsibility (to take care of ourself all the damn time, nobody to drive us to clinic one you know).
NUS has to improve student welfare. Learn from NTU.
Students have performed their duties as student – by paying the fees, so should the University! If it can’t provide housing, or adequate welfare, or explanations for such mess-up, it certainly deserves the pointing fingers.
I am amazed that despite the level of education that we have , some of us are anti modernization and foreign talents and students.
I am not a current student of NUS anymore, in fact i am now an alumni member. I recall that during my days , which was a decade ago , it was much easier to achieve an accomodation in the hall. In my opinion , the more intense requirements are also due to the increasing demand with the limited space available.
I am 100% local but i do see a serious need for the foreign students and talents . First , those who have already received grants have to serve their bond her in SIngapore’s labourforce. If you look at the bigger picture , in any large and advanced city , it is a norm to have many foreign talents and foreign students. Our country has such a small populatin base. Yes , bringing foreign talents may cause some of our locals to lose jobs in the short run but bear in my mind that they bring in growth to our economy in the long run. If you may recall , SIngapore itself consists of many foreign talents who are domesticated in SIngapore and decide to call SIngapore their home . Besides there are many checks that the government have placed so that locals do not lose jobs unnecessarily .
If you are insecure right now in the university with regards to the foreign students then you will be far more insecure with the numerous amount of foreign talents that we have in the labourforce.
Lets be objective.
I just want to appreciate abbrey’s initiative for posting that last comment above. It is exactly what every local and international student in NUS needs to read.
Fellow foreigners, let’s brave it up and get an apartment (except the ones that really are unable to do so – good luck with your appeals.)
Whatever the case, I don’t get why USP students are treated like royalty. The whole Residence 4 in PGPR goes to them, and it’s possible that many of them don’t even graduate as USP students (because they may not all meet the 3.5 CAP requirement). Also, a good proportion of these students are Singaporeans who don’t do CCAs and live the majority of their time during the semester off campus in the comfort of their homes. So there’s a USP student with two roofs and some foreign student with no roof? That’s very hospitable, now, innit?
[...] interesting thing that people should know if they don’t have accommodation for next academic year and are counting on the vacation stay for three months: You are only given two months of vacation [...]
Hey everyone, those who are still unable to find housing, I found one site that has listings of rooms. Hope this helps…
http://www.urbantechie.com/property-rental/category/rooms
As a local student reading this thread, I agree with Goingtosamyshome in that there is no need to insinuate that local students did not work hard to get their points. There is also no need for name-calling or wild accusations of feeling “threatened by foreign talent”. I think we are all beyond that.
Though I have met several foreign students who are hardworking and impressive, I have met an equal number who do little else but skive. Similarly, there are local students who are efficient workers, as well as slackers who are a nightmare to work with.
The point is, the fact that these students didn’t get housing shows that although they did work hard for their points, other people worked harder. This is the harsh reality of meritocracy. Not everyone can win. Though there may be instances of unfairness or loopholes in the system, I believe that everyone will agree that generally, the system was effective in distinguishing the people who worked harder for their CCA points from those who, well, worked less hard.
That is not to say the problem of accommodation shortage need not be redressed. The need for housing faced by foreign students is a real issue. I believe the OSA has done all it can at the moment, short of building more accommodation sites. As mentioned by someone earlier on in the thread, there is no point lambasting the locals or school authorities. Useful suggestions would be good at this point.
Perhaps the OSA could give foreign students clearer indication on the exact requirements they would have to fulfil to secure housing. They could also work up contracts with other universities or schools who have excess housing (Hwa Chong, Raffles, AC) or smthin.
Insinuating that locals do not work hard for their CCA points or that foreigners should be given unconditional priority even though they’ve already been given 2 years is counterproductive.