Upperclassmen, did you know you can be your own personal chef? Quinnipiac University’s new dorm regulations now allow students living in dorms with kitchens to have certain previously banned kitchenware items in their dorm rooms.

Quinnipiac’s updated 2023-24 undergraduate student handbook affords students who have access to a private kitchen the ability to keep items like air fryers, toaster ovens and waffle irons — all of which were prohibited prior to this year — in their dorm rooms.

The list of newly approved kitchenware also includes griddles, Foreman Grills and panini presses. However, students are still unable to bring hot plates, crock pots, indoor grills and portable stove tops to campus.

All students living on the York Hill Campus, in Whitney Village or in Quinnipiac-owned off-campus properties can now legally use these items in their dorms, as can students living in certain residence halls on the Mount Carmel Campus, including the Hill and the Complex.

“Giving upperclassmen more responsibility with appliances adds to independent living,” said Caidyn Collins, a junior human resource management major. “It lets people use their appliances that they would normally use if they were at home.”

But why were these items prohibited in the first place?

“Most of the items prohibited have to do with safety concerns. They present a large risk, especially for students in a communal living environment,” said Mark DeVilbiss, director of housing. “Sometimes a brand new appliance can be deemed as risky at first, but after a few years the university may allow the item to be used.”

After consulting with both the Quinnipiac Safety Committee and the university’s insurance company, Quinnipiac officials decided this fall to allow the kitchenware items. DeVilbiss said both of these groups meet every year to look over the list of prohibited items and sometimes rewrite rules when necessary.

University officials are always concerned with fire safety, but DeVilbiss said “the items have been deemed safe to use in these certain circumstances.”

However, for students living in dorm buildings that have communal kitchens in each building, like in the Ledges residence hall, or on each floor, such as in Mountainview, these items are still prohibited.

“It’s very hard to not be able to use these resources,” first-year psychology major Thalia Padilla said. “It’s a hassle to have to walk all the way to the dining hall to use a toaster.”

Some students in first-year residence halls reported experiencing issues with the durability and reliability of school-provided kitchen appliances.

“It’s really unfair to the students who don’t have the same opportunities as the upperclassmen,” said Alyssa Livorsi, a first-year psychology major. “The appliances in the kitchens are poor. Someone on my floor set off the fire alarm in Mountainview using the stove making an average college student meal.”

Liz Brenes, a first-year nursing major, said she felt inconvenienced by the university’s decisions.

“With no air fryers, protein intake is really hard to reach as someone who exercises regularly,” Brenes said.

Some first-year students understood why university officials decided not to allow students to bring kitchen appliances into the extremely small communal kitchens in first-year dorm buildings like the Irmagarde Tator and Dana English residence halls.

“To put air fryers and toasters in a small room with little to no ventilation and poor fire alarms with teenagers who don’t know how to cook, the alarms would go off everyday,” first-year mechanical engineering major Charlyse LaMantia said. “It makes sense for upperclassmen with private kitchens to be able to use these items.”

Nonetheless, other students felt it was unjust for the university to deny these opportunities to first-year students.

“It’s a little unfair only because the appliances in first-year housing are mediocre at best,” said Wilhelmina Kalish, a first-year mechanical engineering major. “Quinnipiac residential life needs to prioritize communal kitchens more.”

DeVilbiss said students should check the handbook regularly to ensure their appliances are in regulation. He also advised students to bring up individual questions with the Office of Housing or their residential assistant.