The University of La Verne is a private school, and by default charges an arm and a leg, and another arm at that, for tuition, room and board. This is understandable, for the most part. ULV provides intimate class sizes and great accessibility to teachers and faculty. This accounts for the high academic tuition, but not the room and board.

Living at ULV costs more than $3,000 a semester, with food. That is almost $1,000 a month to share a bedroom, bathroom and to be told when to be quiet. But with all of these restrictions and high costs, the expectation should be for a well-maintained living situation.

The dorms are generally tidy, with a cleaning crew that manages to perform every task they are assigned, such as emptying trash and vacuuming. However there is room for improvement in other areas.

A necessity such as laundry should either be included in fees, or work correctly. However, in the Oaks neither is the case. Students complain that the dryer sometimes needs three cycles to dry clothes, which not only wastes students’ money, but also electricity, which costs the University more money. It would probably be more cost-effective to simply fix the washer and dryer to save time and the environment.

Another big downer is the fact that WiFi is still not accessible in the Oaks. One cannot simply sit in the lounge and complete homework when their roommate is asleep, or work on a research project with a group. Residents are instead forced to sit at their desks with a cord, or go somewhere on the other side of D Street.

Although a satellite program is available and the subscription paid for, some rooms do not receive service, which is wasting money that residents contribute.

Also frustrating, it can take more than three weeks for repairs to be made after reporting a breakdown, even if it is the air conditioning or lighting, not to mention that Stu-Han and Brandt Hall don’t even have air conditioning.

Although the majority of these issues have to do with the Oaks, all dormitories could use a tune-up. For the amount students pay, the amenities should work properly, and the money should be spent correctly.

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