Every student on campus has his or her own reason they do not like campus housing, and these range from fire alarms being set off to not being able to have certain items, such as candles with the wicks in them.
(Daniel Borman via Flickr)
I just recently had a problem with campus housing.
My contract was terminated with Cooper Hall all over incense, for the most part.
I was told it was because I was seen as a threat to the other residents who were living there, which I find to be disagreeable.
About two weeks before my housing contract was terminated I set the fire alarm off twice doing my hair; one while using a flat iron and the second time using a blowdryer, and, of course, this was an accident. I had never before had any troubles with being able to do my hair in the comfort of my own room until then. The RA’s advised that I should just do my hair in the bathroom or invest in a fan. That is just what I did.
About a week later, maybe three or four of the RA’s of Cooper Hall were making their way around the dorm trying to encourage students to donate blood. I simply popped my head out of the room to see what all the fuss was about.
The next thing I know I am being accused of burning incense. The RA’s pretty much all walked into my room asking me where the incense was that I was burning and asked me where I was hiding it.
I explained to them that I wasn’t hiding anything thing and that if something was being burned you would clearly see it. One of the RA’s went as far as to look through my trash and did found an old remnant of a stick.
As they left one of the RAs told me with a smile on his face that I would probably get written up for the “offense”. About a week later I received a phone call from Student Conduct and the whole incident was gone over and I was told that I would meet with someone before any decisions about anything were made. Something otherwise happened. I received a letter stating that my contract was to be terminated and all that I could do was either move out or appeal it. I decided to appeal it.
It took me from the time I received the letter until the date that was given to me to be moved out for the appeal to finally be completely over and done with. It even took them three whole days to tell me that I needed to move out.
I personally do not like how the appeal was handled. It wasn’t done in a fair manner, and I don’t think it was done in a very professional manner either. I asked one of the housing workers if she knew the rules about “trophy” (alcohol) bottles on campus and she told me she wasn’t really sure, that she thought they were fine. I did my research and, according to the UT System, they are illegal on campus, empty or not. I also disagree with how it was ASSUMED that I did something because during the meeting we were “not in a court of law, and this is Tennessee, so we can assume,” I was told. Then on top of that I was told by the head of housing that my appeal would not go through because he just FELT that the RA’s did what was right, even though the RA’s did not follow the student handbook book rules.
This is the worst experience I have ever had with the university –ever. It went even further to the business department messing me over with my money. I was supposed to receive a refund from the school but did not because the business affairs office did not do what they needed to do to make sure that my summer housing was paid for with my tuition and everything else, which I find very hard to believe since the housing needed to be paid off before classes started.
Then to put the icing on the cake, Student Conduct put me on probation for the rest of the semester.
In the end I am glad that I had to move because dorm life is like a huge rip off to me and I pretty much have my own place now.
One of the RA’s even “apologized” to me about the whole incident and mentioned that I had always wanted my own place anyways. I wonder how she figured that when I never stated it to her. I see now why there aren’t many friendly things said about housing.
Diamond Adams
Communications Sophomore
