Shanghai university opens dorm for couples ( 2003-10-11 15:11) (Eastday)
Special dormitories for married students have been set up for the first time
in Shanghai at Tongji University, officials from the institution said yesterday.
Tongji
University
Six doctoral student couples are
the first group to enjoy the privilege, which began this semester.
But the accommodations are only provided to postgraduate couples both of whom
study in the university. If either leaves the school, the couple will be
required to vacate the room, officials stressed.
With approximately 18 square meters each, the rooms are set up in the
teachers' dorm building at Tongji's Hudong Campus in Yangpu District. The
furniture supplied with the dormitory - bed, desk and closet - is identical to
ordinary student dorms. It does not include any family-like facilities, such as
an independent kitchen. It costs about 500 yuan (US$60.24) per year for each
couple, university officials said.
"Our main purpose is to facilitate our students," said Lin Qiang, an official
at the Hudong Campus.
According to Lin, standard practice has been to separate dorms for male and
female students at local universities. Married student couples were always
forced to live separately or live together off campus - not common due to the
added expense.
Currently, renting a one-bedroom apartment, including an independent kitchen,
a toilet and some necessary household electricity appliances, off campus costs
between 800 yuan to 1,000 yuan per month.
Some student couples thus had their own way.
"If able to sneak into the dorm without being stopped by the dorm guard, I
could still stay with my wife in the dorm," said a graduate student, identified
only as Wang.
