GW’s rapid expansion is causing problems again.

For the first time, sophomores will become community facilitators. The acquisition of the Premier Hotel, now dubbed the Hall on Virginia Avenue, left a dearth of CFs, making it necessary to expand the CF position to sophomores.

Should sophomores be in charge of other sophomores, which is the case at several residence halls this year? Maybe, but that is yet to be determined.

The problem is that the University failed to avert a potential problem. When HOVA was added to the Foggy Bottom campus, GW should have accounted for the lack of junior and senior CFs without throwing sophomore CFs into the fire.

Ideally, the Community Living and Learning Center should have recruited more juniors and seniors to fill CF positions. It is true that rounding up juniors and seniors on short notice, during the summer, is a difficult task. But leaving sophomores with the disciplinary responsibilities over their peers poses a dilemma that shouldn’t exist.

CLLC should have been more creative in handling problems associated with putting sophomores in the CF position. One way to smooth the path for sophomore CFs would have been to give them different – but equally challenging – responsibilities than the older CFs. For example, sophomores could handle more of the administrative and planning duties and less of the disciplinary functions, thus easing them into the role of a community facilitator.

As GW grows, change and adaptation must come within the University. Campus offices must find new solutions to the unique problems that come with expansion. Instead of taking a gamble, like using sophomores as full-fledged CFs, CLLC should have applied more creative measures to make the best of a tough situation.