In such circumstances, the universities should take one step at a time. They should first calculate the potential expenses and then ask students whether they would pay the extra charges for some extra comfort.

Perhaps they could learn from Changsha Medical University in Hunan province. The university installed air conditioners in two dormitory buildings in 2009 and plans to install another 3,000 air conditioners during this summer vacation.

A dorm shared by six students equipped with an air conditioner costs 1,600 yuan ($261) per person per year, 400 yuan more than what normal dorms cost. The electricity charges for running air conditioners for 10 hours a day is about 200 yuan per month per room, which means each student has to pay just 35 yuan more a month, which is not a huge amount.

But universities have to share part of the economic burden with the students. In 2008, Beijing University of Technology installed air conditioners in some dormitories where volunteers for the Beijing Olympic Games stayed. Now, all of its 4,400 dorms are equipped with air conditioners, for which the expenses were covered by a special fund without burdening students.

Of course, universities that don't have special funds, however, have to charge students extra to meet the expenses. But certain amount of non-air-conditioned dormitories should be kept for students who cannot afford or do not want to pay the extra charges.

The author is a writer with China Daily.

E-mail: xiaolixin@chinadaily.com.cn.