Housing options available for students studying abroad in the spring of 2011 have been expanded to include suites in Ziv Quad as well as space in the Village, according to the director of the Department of Community Living, Jeremy Leiferman. The DCL decided last year with the Office of Study Abroad, the Office of Students and Affairs and the Office of Student Enrollment that students studying abroad in the spring must live in the Village, but have now changed that policy so that those students can live in the Village or Ziv.

Leiferman explained in an e-mail to the Justice that the housing options were expanded to suites in Ziv because students had requested a suite option, and more space was needed in the Village to accommodate the rising sophomore class that will live in Village A House.

According to the Web site, House A of the Village is now only designated for sophomores.

Houses B and C and "limited suites" in Ziv 130 are reserved for students going abroad.

Leiferman further explained that the entire suite must be comprised of students planning on studying abroad in the spring, and that the number of suites available will be based on the number of students approved to study abroad at that time.

Leiferman wrote that the study abroad housing policy was reviewed by an advisory board to the Student Union.

"The designations are reviewed by multiple student committees and based in part on suggestions we receive from students," he wrote.

Students planning to use this option were pleased with the expansion of choices.

"I am really excited by the fact there is an option to live in Ziv. It is nice to have the opportunity to live in a suite for a semester," said Jessica Nusbaum '12, who said she is applying to study abroad in the spring.

"I think it is great that we have so much more variety now in our housing opportunities," Ariel Hirsch '12 told the Justice.

According to Leiferman, the suites in Ziv that are vacated at the end of the fall semester will be filled in the spring by transfer students or students who were abroad in the fall or who participated in a Justice Brandeis Semester off campus.

Students planning on studying abroad in the fall of 2010 are not eligible for room selection, a policy that Leiferman wrote was implemented last year.

Leiferman also explained the concept of "Common Cause Communities," which he wrote is an opportunity for students to live together surrounding a theme.

"The programming in these areas will be tailored to the theme in order to draw out students' passions in these areas," he wrote.

Leiferman wrote that the ideas for this type of housing developed over the course of the past semester and were based upon feedback received from students.

He added that these communities will likely be in East, Ziv and Ridgewood quads, but that the locations depend on the number of students interested.