My girlfriend, Holly Dvorak, has just begun the university’s graduate forensic biology program. Securing her position in the program was a grueling process, and she had to make some sacrifices to concentrate on getting her master’s degree.
The university, in return, has decided to remove graduate housing in the fall without being clear about the process.
The University of New Haven made drastic changes to its housing arrangements for the upcoming year, and as best as I can tell, most of the student body only received this information through passing conversations. According to the university’s website, “Starting in the Fall 2025 semester, the University will not offer graduate housing.” This statement can be found only in the FAQ section of the website’s Student Life page. Additionally, there will be little on-campus housing for juniors or seniors. Sophomores are being offered rooms in Celentano, Dunham, Sheffield and Winchester Halls, which leaves the upperclassmen without any resident halls on campus.
The university has not been transparent, and has only just begun to make an effort to communicate with its student body. As my girlfriend said, this “definitely could have been communicated better. More concise, with all the information in one place.” The announcements change the plans of people who’ve lived on campus in the past.
School officials say they are making these changes to offer “semi-independent University housing locations” as well as flexible meal plan options and living autonomy.
However, there are other factors to consider when moving students off-campus. Juniors and seniors will require more parking passes for spaces that are already limited, road conditions will influence class attendance and the community will be divided between older and younger students.
The Office of Residential Life held floor meetings to explain the reasoning behind the school’s decisions. The director of residential life, Cindy Sanders, attended these meetings to help answer student’s questions. I attended one in late January, where students were offered free pizza.
I arrived expecting a conversation initiated by Sanders that would summarize the data that supported residential changes and offered options in the upcoming semester. Instead, Sanders approached students individually and asked if they had questions. While I assume she took this approach to help students feel heard, this method was not effective.
Sanders approached me and asked if I had any questions about residence halls next semester. When asked about the lack of graduate housing available for my girlfriend, Sanders simply said she “should be fine” with little explanation. Before I could delve further into this answer, Sanders moved onto another student. I received little information on the campus’ decisions and accommodations due to this communication method.
We have been left with more questions than answers. Where will graduate students live? How will upperclassmen live comfortably? Your guess is as good as mine.
