Midd Briefs Summer Employment Living Costs Soar

Author: Nicolas Emery

Middlebury College students who are employed by the College during the summer months will see significant changes take effect during the summer of 2003 regarding their room and board.
All students who work on campus and live at the College will now be required to purchase the board plan, which is $100 per week, in addition to rent which costs $20 per week. Previously, summer student employees had the option to purchase the board plan or cook their own meals using the dormitory kitchen spaces.
There are several factors responsible for this policy change. Allen Hall and Centeno Hall will not house students this summer as they are slated to be renovated. Housing availability will be further limited by the new Portuguese Language School which opens this summer at the College.
As a result of this limited housing, most student employees will be placed in locations that do not have adequate kitchen space. According to Student Employment Coordinator Charlene Bergland, "This is the reason we are requiring everyone to be on the board plan."
Bergland stressed that even with the required board fee, working at Middlebury College during the summer is still a better deal financially than students could find buying their own food and renting their own space off-campus. "$100 for seven days of cooked meals is quite a bargain," she said.
With regard to the required board fee, Bergland stated, "I understand that it will be inconvenient, but I have heard no complaints so far. We are grateful for students who do stay and work with us during the summer...and Middlebury actually gets warm and green."