WHEREAS, San Diego State University has enrolled a record number of 35,695 students for the Fall 2007 term; and
WHEREAS, San Diego State University has projected enrollment growth to reach levels of 45,000 students by the year 2025 as outlined in the 2007 Campus Master Plan Revision; and
WHEREAS, San Diego State University is an integral part of the San Diego community, with approximately 60% of graduates ultimately seeking employment and consequently housing within San Diego; and
WHEREAS, housing and nuisance properties issues are a prevalent part of the public discourse in relation to San Diego State students in terms of recent regulations and initiatives including existing Neighborhood Code compliance, the Administrative Citation, and initiatives under consideration such as the Rooming House Ordinance; and
WHEREAS, the term “mini-dorm” is frequently used by the general population, by agents of the local media, in proceedings of various city entities including, but not limited to the City Council of San Diego and the Land Use and Housing Committee, as well as various public communications between public officials including, but not limited to reports to the Office of the Mayor and the Office of the City Attorney; and
WHEREAS, the various definitions of the term “mini-dorm” vary and are inconsistent; and
WHEREAS, the term “mini-dorm” is associated with specific classification of single unit dwellings in residential areas in the context of determining the various legal rights of tenants, neighbors, and landlords in the context of Neighborhood Code compliance generally with the intent of classifying the property as non-compliant or a nuisance; and
WHEREAS, the term “mini-dorm” is frequently associated with action regarding Neighborhood Code compliance including but not limited to noise violations, nuisance violations, parking violations, trash violations, building violations, and their various respective administrative ramifications; and
WHEREAS, the term “mini-dorm” is currently a common contraction in local vernacular whose etymology involves ‘dormitory’ in the sense of a college or university building containing living quarters for students which focuses on the identities of the tenants; and
WHEREAS, the term “mini-dorm” has a negative connotation and an effect of identifying San Diego State students as non-compliant or a nuisance; and
WHEREAS, use of the term “mini-dorm” encourages discrimination and harassment in aspects of housing including sales and rentals, evictions, terms and conditions, mortgage loans and insurance, and land use and zoning against San Diego State students; and
WHEREAS, the term “mini-dorm” represents discrimination against personal characteristics of tenants that are not related to the responsibility of a tenant; and
WHEREAS, discrimination against personal characteristics of tenants that are not related to the responsibility of a tenant are inconsistent with mandates established by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing; therefore so be it
RESOLVED, that the Associated Students of San Diego State University does not, nor will it ever, support the use of a negative and discriminatory term used to type students; and further be it
RESOVLED, that the Associated Students of San Diego State University encourages all government agencies, media outlets, and public and private populations to cease the use of the term “mini-dorm” because of its negative connotation and innate stereotyping of all students; and further be it
RESOLVED, that should the term “mini-dorm” ever need to be used in any context, that it be formally and properly defined in a manner which in no way discriminates against the students of San Diego State University or any student in general; and further be it
RESOVLED, that the Associated Students of San Diego State University feels that it is the responsibility of the City of San Diego to officially define the use and meaning of the term “mini-dorm” for public use in an unbiased way; and finally be it
RESOLVED, that this resolution is to be distributed widely including, but not limited to, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, San Diego City Attorney Michael Aguirre, each of the eight San Diego City Councilmembers, San Diego Mid-City Police Captain Guy Swanger, San Diego State University Chief of Police John L. Browning, the College Area Community Council, and San Diego State University President Stephen L. Weber.