Three weeks before the start of the fall 2020 semester, on Aug. 1, the Office of Residential Life changed many Quinnipiac University students’ housing assignments by separating roommates and abruptly moving students out of their buildings. 

The unsolicited housing adjustments were made due to the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has created. Specifically, triple and quad dorm rooms are no longer a housing option. Also, there are designated spaces on campus for quarantine and isolation in the event that a student is exposed to COVID-19.

As a result, there is less space available, causing the displacement of many students.

Upperclassmen are living with people they did not select as roommates. Some have also ended up in different buildings or even on a different campus. 

Kerry Deasy, a sophomore English major in the five-year Master’s of Arts in Teaching program, was originally supposed to live in Village with five people she chose as suite mates.  

“We had been planning things such as purchasing furniture for the common room since Village housing doesn’t provide that,” Deasy said. “Then we find out (on Aug. 1) that we were all getting split up. Each set of direct roommates are staying together but we are all being put in different suites in Crescent on the York Hill campus.” 

Deasy said she was looking forward to living in a suite full of people she chose since she knew she could trust them. She is also frustrated that the university informed students so close to move-in since her suite mates already purchased furniture for their common room. 

“I understand and appreciate the fact that the university is taking the pandemic seriously and they are working to make it possible for us to be on campus when a lot of schools don’t have that opportunity,” Deasy said. “But I don’t feel as though they are really thinking what would be the best thing for the majority of the students.”

Incoming freshmen are the most disorganized class in terms of their living situations. Some have assignments with other freshmen while others are sharing rooms with sophomores. There are also freshmen who don’t have a housing plan yet.

Residential Life sent an email to freshmen who do not have a room assignment yet which stated they are on a waitlist to receive their housing assignments as “space becomes available” in the “coming weeks.”

Ryan Mahoney, an incoming freshman nursing major, was put on the waitlist for housing. Recently she was taken off of the waitlist after the initial email was sent out.  The original email she received said to make sure her health forms are complete before she can be given an assignment, however, she said she completed all necessary forms. 

“I just wish I could have it over and done with, so I could meet my roommate and join all of the group chats and stuff people are making for Commons and Ledges,” Mahoney said. “I just wish I was assigned, I was looking forward to it.” 

Benjamin Black, a second-year 3+1 film, television and media major, had a similar experience to Deasy. He, along with his original suite mates, were supposed to live in Village, but they all were moved to separate rooms on the York Hill campus. 

“If I knew this was going to happen, I might have changed my mind about living on campus and done remote learning,” Black said. “It feels like they did a bait-and-switch and went through the motions of selecting housing just to make it seem like things were normal. Whether or not it was intentional, students should have been notified.”

Ariana Laneri, a junior graphic and interactive design major, said her entire suite received an email from Residential Life informing them that their group was transferred from York Hill to Whitney Village.  

“We aren’t too happy about this change,” Laneri said. “One of my suite mates really wanted to live on York because she does not have a car and she knew the York shuttles are more timely and reliable than the shuttles that come to Whitney. Now she is stressed about making it to her job at school and her classes.”

The students who have been put in this situation said they are looking for clarity. They want answers as to why the changes were made and what can be done to fix it. Laneri said she hopes Residential Life will answer people once the business week resumes on Monday, Aug. 3. 

“To make this better, we want answers as to why we were moved from our housing,” Laneri said. “We want more transparency among the students, families and Residential Life. It would have been nice to know that there was a chance our housing could be in trouble earlier rather than having it dropped on us randomly.”