By JENNIFER LIU

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Students returning to Stanford after a quarter away from campus are aware that the odds of getting into a Row House or other popular residence are slim.

Most resign themselves to an unenviable dorm and hope for the best. This year, however, a number of students who returned to The Farm at the beginning of winter quarter found themselves unexpectedly placed in graduate housing in Crothers Hall and Crothers Memorial as a result of a particularly large housing crunch.

According to Sue Nunan, director of housing assignments, undergraduate housing shortages are almost always more acute in winter quarter because of the large number of students who study abroad during the fall.

Undergraduates placed in Crothers and Crothers Memorial at the beginning of the quarter could submit reassignment requests if other rooms became available, but none have done so, Nunan said.

Carl Moore ‘08 — who studied abroad at Oxford in the fall — said he had no plans to move out of his single in Crothers. Unassigned after a computer glitch downgraded his application priority to that of a student studying abroad at a non-Stanford-affiliated program, he said he was satisfied with his assignment.

“I knew someone who came back last winter, lived in Crothers, and then moved into an undergraduate space,” Moore said. “But the people in my situation were emailed about open spaces and told that we had first pick of what was available before the walk-in meeting.”

Vilas Rao ‘07, who also studied at Oxford last fall, suffered the same glitch and admitted that he was less sanguine about the situation at first. He was eventually assigned to Xanadu.

“I drew preferred, and I had a draw number in the 800s,” he said. “I was frustrated in the beginning while Housing was trying to figure out what had happened, especially since I’d been expecting a good placement. The people who I talked to handled everything really well, though, and were very professional about the entire situation.”

In addition to assigning returning students to Crothers and Crothers Memorial, Nunan said that Housing placed a number of students in “uprated” rooms — residences that have been converted to accommodate more students than were originally intended — or non-traditional rooms, such as guest cottages.

“Guest rooms in four undergraduate residences were used as student rooms during winter quarter,” she said. “Small common rooms in three residences were converted temporarily to student rooms. A few student rooms in two residences were uprated for winter quarter.”

Students living in these rooms will remain there during the spring unless they ask to be reassigned, Nunan added.

Sagari Bette ‘08, who lives in a Murray House guest cottage, said that she had originally been assigned to Robinson House.

“After my drawmate and I received our assignment, we emailed Housing asking if we could room together,” she said. “Over winter break, we received emails that told us that there had basically been a mistake and we had been assigned to a Murray guest cottage instead, with a detailed description of what the rooms were like. As long as we were able to room together, though, I wasn’t too concerned.”

Bette said she has access to everything a standard dorm would offer.

“We eat at Murray, and we have access to Murray staff,” she said. “But we also have our own bathroom and a couch. All things considered, it’s working out quite nicely. I’m definitely not thinking of moving any more this year.”

Students returning to campus for spring quarter, however, can rest assured of a more orthodox appointment.

In the past, all spring quarter waiting list applicants have been accommodated in undergraduate residences, Nunan wrote in an email to The Daily.

“Last year, we had over 200 undergraduate vacancies remaining after waiting list and walk-in assignments were made,” she said.

Nunan said the large number of vacancies for spring quarter is a result of a number of factors. Fewer students are abroad during the winter — only 127 undergraduates have submitted housing applications for next quarter, she said. Adding to the surplus of available rooms is the relatively large number of seniors who graduate at the end of winter quarter.