Students Organize In Response to Cambridge Hall Closure

Cambridge Hall was closed on Sept. 19 due to repeated moisture and mold issues. Over 150 students who lived in the hall were forced to relocate to other buildings on campus. This incident sparked the formation of the Cambridge Union. The group had its informal start at the beginning of the semester, when it first came out that there were mold issues in Cambridge that had then been remedied. With the closure of Cambridge hall, the Union came together to represent the views of students who felt that they had been treated unfairly due to the closure.

The students who represent the Cambridge Union have no leader – their horizontal power structure lends itself to represent all students and their concerns equally. As such, Union representatives have either requested or preferred anonymity. As one Union representative put it, “we are not just for former Cambridge Hall residents. We represent all students across campus who have been affected by residence hall neglect over the years. We have members from the honors department, the international program, the disabilities program, under and upper classmen from residence halls all over campus, students who have moved off campus, and concerned parents.”

Many students who have taken their grievances to the Cambridge Union report that the relocation of students from Cambridge was not as organized as it was supposed to be. While President Nowaczyk said that relocation was to happen “in stages, floor by floor,” Union representatives allege that “due to the poor logistics, the process of selecting a new room [had] become first-come-first-serve. The explanation for this system is that, ‘these students are independently motivated. They take charge, and they are better.’”

The Cambridge Union is critical of the way the university has apparently focused too much on adding newer buildings, while neglecting older buildings. As Union representatives said, “it seems little attention has been given to repairing or modernizing the old. The new additions will create a great campus environment once they are complete in two to five years. However, the immediate issues have been left untouched, and have been allowed to rot.”

Union representatives allege that FSU has violated its own residence hall contract. One of the administrative duties of the university listed in the contract is that “during regular shut down periods, University personnel will check the residence halls and student rooms for general and fire safety purposes and maintenance personnel will do preventive work.”

Likewise, members of the Union also claim that FSU has violated its own mission statement.  Under the section entitled Frostburg State University Institutional Objectives and Outcomes, the university lists “enhance facilities and the campus environment in order to support and reinforce student learning” as a goal. Students have reported to the Union that the university has violated this goal. As one student said, “I have lost my quiet space. Where I go to escape, to relax, and to do homework? I am not going to have that anymore. I guess I’ll have to go to the library more, but I’m not even sure where a good spot will be. I’ve never had to do that before.”

The University has taken steps forward to attempt to remedy the issues addressed by the Cambridge Union. Students who were relocated from Cambridge hall to other residence halls have had their housing costs partially refunded. “Currently, displaced Cambridge residents are being given a refund of the difference in cost between our current single room and the double we will be moving into. We feel this is fair and expected as minimum step. We won’t be living in singles and shouldn’t pay for one,” a Union representative said.

However, the Union is also asking for more than what it considers the minimum compensation. While they accept that the current compensation is fair, they believe that the university’s alleged violation of its mission statement and alleged violation of its own housing contract should have prompted more action on the university’s part. The Union is requesting a full refund of the housing costs for the 152 students relocated from Cambridge hall, as well as a full waiver of the new housing costs for the students for the fall semester.

“We recognize that the amenities we had are lost and cannot be replaced. We recognize that the university is doing everything it can to make this unfortunate living circumstance as pleasant as possible,” a Union representative said. “Therefore, we feel monetary compensation is the only way to ensure fair treatment of everyone displaced and allow those students some financial ease during this transition period.”

Although the Union is critical of the university’s alleged neglect of residence halls, as well as the university’s alleged violation of its mission statement and housing contract, the Union does recognize the work being done by the university to remedy the situation. “The current administration appears to genuinely care about what has happened and is forging a path of positive growth for future students.”

“We would like to dissolve as a union once properly compensated. The pipeline of information we have created from students to administration is the job of the Residence Hall Administration,” one Union representative said. “Our dream is to be able to tell people, in one years’ time, that this was a terrible circumstance, and that the Frostburg community came together in a remarkable way,” he also said.

A Union member noted that, “the more perspectives we have, the clearer we can discern the desires of the community.” Union members encourage people to reach out to them at CambridgeUnion2018@gmail.com with stories, comments, or thoughts about residence life at FSU.