Outraged Brasenose students studying for a four-year degree have been told they may not be eligible for college accommodation next year.
Third year students applying for their fourth or fifth year of accommodation in College or in the Frewin Annex will now be placed at the bottom of the housing ballot for their final year, below students going into second and third year.
This could result in some fourth year students having to live out of college in the same year that they sit their final examinations.
One student called the rooms in college at the bottom of the ballot “the worst rooms in Brasenose, which have literally no windows”.
Students were sent a message on Monday informing them of procedural changes to the allocation of rooms.
The lateness of this announcement has angered many of the college’s population.
An anonymous Brasenose student explained, “this is the first everyone has heard of it and so many will now have literally a few days to sort out other accommodation for next year since student rooms in Cowley etc are already being rented out”
Due to the late notice of the unexpected procedure, the college has agreed to allow fourth-year scientists to keep their priority in the tenancy ballot for this year. However, this priority will be removed next year.
The college will continue to guarantee all undergraduate students three years of accommodation, either on the main College site or the Frewin Annexe, situated five minutes from the college.
However, this has not satisfied many current third-year students who stated that they were given to believe that they would be offered college accommodation for each year of their studies.
One third-year scientist called the introduction of the new procedures a “disgrace” and spoke of his disbelief at the college’s refusal to provide any warning of the change.
He said, “it’s a disgrace, I can’t believe the college have done this without giving any notice or offering any justification. I’m outraged.”
The current Brasenose website states that the college has “accommodation for later year students on both sites” and:
“In recent years Brasenose has been able to accommodate all undergraduates wanting College accommodation.”
The Bursar of the college was unavailable for comment.
