On Monday, Feb. 16, some students got a housing consolidation email. The email was sent out to students living on campus in rooms not a full occupancy.  

“According to our records, you are currently residing in a standard double, triple, or quad room that is not at full occupancy. Following the initial room change period each semester, students living in rooms that are not fully occupied and who have contracted for a standard room may be subject to consolidation to align with the standard double, triple, or quad room rate,” the email read.  

Students were given three options: to personally find a new roommate, to live with a roommate assigned by the school, or to buy out the room for a premium rate.  

Timothy Lechtenberg, the assistant director of residence life-area coordinator, said that the office of residence life begins the consolidation process in the third week of the spring semester.  

“How long the process takes and when initial communication goes out is often driven by the number of room or roommate change requests we have coming off of the fall semester. How quickly we can process those change requests to determine who will be involved in the consolidation process,” Lechtenberg said.   

This semester, there has been a rise in consolidation compared to the past. 

“Overall, we normally have about 50% exercise the option to keep their rooms as a private and opt to buy it out. This can change based on our numbers,” Lechtenberg said.   

Some students didn’t even know the consolidation emails existed, even though they had had no roommates in the past.  

“The consolidation email was weird when I first got it, because I’ve had no roommate before, and I’ve never had to choose this, so it must be new,” senior Cassie Bates said. 

Bates is buying out because she feels her academics are the best they have ever been.  

“I think it’s just because I feel comfortable in my space and not have to share it with anyone now that I am getting ready to graduate and move out on my own,” Bates said.  

Bates does think the costs seem reasonable, but other students don’t agree. 

“The cost of buyout is kind of ridiculous and unnecessary, because you already pay over $2,000 for the room, and you’re already being told, ‘well, if you don’t have a roommate that you found, we are going to assign you one, or you’re going to be moved to a different room,’” freshman Payton Smith said. 

Smith said she feels the issue should have been addressed sooner. 

“It’s an unnecessary stress that could have been addressed way sooner, like probably December or January, and it’s just a short amount of time. With it being already halfway through the semester, it’s kind of ridiculous that they are bringing it up now,” Smith said.