Students Upset Over New Order Week Policy

Story by: Breanna Prince

As the semester comes to an end, many students are stressed with finals coming up. Piling up the stress, students who live in the dorms now have to move everything back to how it was when they moved in. From lowering the bed, taking things off the walls, to deep cleaning their room for the order-week checks. Many students describe it as living in a prison cell. 

“It was incredibly frustrating and it felt really disrespectful the way that they sprung it on us,” junior Olivia Stadler said. 

With the four years living on campus, senior Noah Pittman said it feels like they are pressuring students to leave early. 

“It’s honestly not good, especially the bed portion,” he said. “It really seems like this policy was designed by someone who doesn’t actually live in the dorms. Then they threaten to fine you on top of it. This policy feels like a thinly veiled, ‘get out.’” 

The “move-out preparation” email from Resident Life was sent out on Wednesday, April 9, less than two weeks before Easter weekend. 

“I was going home to be with my family for Easter, which did allow me to bring some stuff home,” Stadler said. “I have arthritis, I cannot move the heavy wooden furniture on my own, nor can I loft my bed on my own. I don’t think anyone can do that on their own.”

The email stated, “Each resident must complete an in-person checkout with a staff member. Failure to checkout in person will incur an improper checkout fine. During each resident’s final in-person checkout with a staff member, your room will be inspected for damages and excessive cleaning requirements. Photos are taken of all billable damages or cleaning charges. Any damages or excessive cleaning charges will be billed to your student account and will appear on your June statement due July 1. Charges found in common spaces or shared bedrooms will be split amongst all residents unless a resident(s) claim responsibility by emailing their residence hall director by 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 10.” 

With Stadler’s parents working full-time, it was hard to work in their schedules at the last minute to help bring some of her stuff home, in time for the room check that took place from April 21 to April 27. 

“It was incredibly frustrating for them because they were informed basically that week that they had to come that weekend because [the weekend after] was Easter,” she said. 

Stadler struggles with depression, and with taking everything off the walls, she feels like it doesn’t feel like home anymore. 

“It definitely impacted my mental health,” she said. “Having to take down everything that makes my dorm feel like home and keep it like that for two weeks before I move out, I feel like that’s incredibly frustrating to me.”

This new policy also has gotten in the way with students’ school work and time. 

“It did cut into my senior design for engineering and art final project,” Pittman said. “It took less time to do that, and where am I supposed to store the supplies required for both projects [with taking everything down and not giving enough space].” 

For freshman students who aren’t familiar with the policy that was taken place before, still believe the policy is a bit too much. However, some requirements are manageable. 

“I think that getting some of things taken down from the walls so you can put in work orders, if there are any paint chips or whatever happens seems somewhat reasonable,” freshman Felix Coone said. 

Having to lower the beds early, Coone said, the thing that bothers him the most is not having enough storage space.

“A lot of people store their stuff under their beds, myself included,” he said. “If you have another roommate and you both have a lot of stuff, and you can’t take things home easily, where are you going to put all that stuff?” 

Living in a two-bedroom dorm with four people, the rooms are not big enough to store items. 

For students who live out of state, it’s hard for them to take things home before move-out day. 

“I’m an out-of-state student, so I can’t bring stuff home,” freshman Claraiana Thomas said. “I had a lot of stuff sitting under my bed. It’s storage that’s now pushed randomly to a side in my room, and kind of made it more cluttered, so that was stressful.” 

She said she finds it “silly” that they have to deep clean the bathrooms, since they will be using it for the next two weeks. 

Thomas is a representative for SGA (Student Government Association). At one of their meetings a student brought up the order week policy. There the students got to embrace their opinion and relay the message. 

“Someone said ‘What’s everybody’s problem with it so far?’ And oh my gosh that room erupted,” she said. “Everybody was like this is stupid.” 

Stadler said it was frustrating to put all this work so close to finals.

“It only benefits them (ResLife); it has no benefits for us (students),” she said.