Students question enforcement of furniture rule

A number of students are complaining that Undergraduate Housing has implemented a new University furniture policy without adequately informing undergraduates — or at least begun to enforce an older policy without notifying students of its existence.

The furniture policy, as explained by the University in warning emails to students found in violation of the rule, prohibits students from having more than one set of University-issued furniture per student in their room.

University spokeswoman Cass Cliatt ’96 explained in an email that “the furniture policy does not allow removal or loaning of furniture to another room because of challenges relating to such factors as the damage to University property.”

She added that the policy had not been tightened in recent years, but rather loosened to allow for the removal of mattresses. “So this is nothing new,” Cliatt said.

However, many students said they had never heard of this policy and that, in fact, it is in direct contradiction to campus culture.

Simone Hill ’12 explained in an email that this is the third year she’s had an extra University-issued bed in her room, and it’s also the first she received a warning about it.

“[Upperclassmen] send emails out to listservs at the end of the summer asking for the extra bed from someone who was planning to bring in their own bed,” she added.

Hill noted she had not heard anything to contradict this practice and passed her first fire inspection this year but then received an email from Undergraduate Housing explaining she was in violation of the University furniture policy.

Ayann McKenzie ’12 said in an email she had a similar experience, though she was unaware there were any rules against using surplus University furniture.

“People who were found to have king-sized beds — meaning two University beds pushed together — were recently told that we had to get rid of the other bed,” she added.

Those found to be in violation of the policy have been warned they must remove any additional pieces within two weeks or face punitive measures.

According to the housing furniture policy listed online, “furniture may not be removed from any buildings,” and, while students can request mattresses to be removed, bed frames must remain in the room.

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Under “Terms and Condiitons,” “All University property located in the accommodation at the commencement of the agreement period must be located in the same accommodation and in good condition upon the termination of the agreement.”

Even though several students were warned about additional furniture in their rooms, others were told they were unable to remove surplus pieces.

Anna Kamen ’15, who has an extra bed and desk in her room, said she asked inspectors to move the desk out and they refused to.

McKenzie also noted that students who had gotten rid of their furniture hadn’t been cited — only those whose rooms had an extra bed.

Hill said she asked an inspector for an explanation of the policy, which seems to be unclear even to members of the University administration, and that “the justification he cited was that damage to rooms and furniture could lead to increased cost of University housing.”

“I didn’t remove the furniture from the building, so even if I wasn’t aware of the rule I didn’t violate it anyway,” Hill said.

Either way, students noted they wish the University would clarify its policy, both over the summer and online, in addition to within the housing office.

McKenzie said she would have made different furniture arrangements “had we been notified that they would be enforcing this rule earlier, like during the summer.”