It seems a great shame that we need to use the first issue of the year to report that once again the University has failed to provide new freshers with the facilities they were promised.

Last year, new students in Langwith and Goodricke arrived to find a lack of basic cooking facilities, totally unacceptable in a University that provides only basic catering for resident students. You might think that those responsible for the new wing of Vanbrugh college would have taken all measures possible to avoid a repeat scenario, but this week 47 new students have arrived in York only to be put up in a Holiday Inn pending the completion of their residences.

The excuse being offered is that unforseen circumstances, specifically inclement weather over the summer, delayed construction. If this was the first instance of such a disaster (and if you doubt the appropriateness of such a loaded term, put yourself in the shoes of those unlucky Vanbrugh students left far from campus in their first week at University) the lack of proper contingency planning would be forgivable.

It is not the first instance, and as such it seems fair to conclude that the University is perfectly content to play fast and loose with its promises to prospective students. If the space might not be there, the places should not be offered. Either ensure that adequate time is allotted for building new residences and renovating old ones, or don’t offer shaky promises. End of story.

Undoubtedly, this storm will blow over, and the students currently kipping in hotel rooms won’t really lose out in any significant way. Indeed, they’re probably guaranteed martyr status for the rest of this year. But that doesn’t excuse the University’s actions: they had better get it right next year.

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