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Students scramble for housing at Florida Southern
Ken Suarez reports
LAKELAND, Fla. - Almost half of the students who attend Florida Southern College will not be going back to campus when classes resume in a few weeks, but for many, staying off-campus is not their preference.
In an attempt to socially distance students, the school decided to limit dorm rooms to one person in each, which means that a lot of students are going to have to find off-campus housing.
“This was a very difficult decision, but it is the right decision for the college because it’s based on medical and health advice, starting with the CDC, from state officials to the local folks we’re working with,” Grant Heston, Florida Southern vice president of communications and marketing, told FOX 13. “The consensus was that this was the safest way to conduct the fall semester.”
That call is not sitting well with many students.
In the first week, it was posted on 1,500 people signed a petition to have the college reconsider.
In part, it says, “While we as students understand the burden that COVID-19 places on a school, there were much more reasonable ways to deal with the issue than removing the vast majority of students from campus.”
The timing of the decision is another sticking point.
“They canceled the move-in two weeks before we were expected to be on campus,” posted one student. “Students have not only paid for dorm/apartment items, but also school and traveling expenses.”
The school is also under pressure for its prioritization methods. Freshmen, transfer, and honor students, and those on scholarship will likely get on-campus housing.
Despite the discontent, Florida Southern says it is going to stand its ground.
“We knew it would be unpopular, but we didn’t focus on making a decision that would be popular," said Heston."We made a decision that would be right and in the best interest of everybody involved.”