Students frustrated with Housing response to heat concerns

With the change in seasons and maintenance issues, students living in White Residential College spent the last several days living in extremely warm temperatures. 

Students and parents shared concerns about the temperatures on the University Family Page late Monday night. 

Katrina Feijo has a student living in Regents and started the conversation surrounding heat in the dorms. Feijo said her daughter has an underlying medical condition that is made worse by the extreme temperatures. 

“Yes, (she has) been to the d(octo)r three times (and) threw up several times too,” Feijo said. “I believe this last time (was) from heat stroke, but she didn’t wanna miss class so she just went on.”

As a parent, Feijo said she was frustrated by the lack of response from the Housing Office. 

“She said it’s an old building and this has been the case (for) many years,” Feijo said. “I said with what we pay for housing you should find a way to fix that. Her response was ‘we tell them when they register here it will be like summer in winter and winter in summer,’ so she felt that had fair warning.” 

Feijo said this makes her and her daughter reconsider Murray State. 

“I told the housing lady we will be taking her out after this semester,” Feijo said. “(It) proves to me they really are more about making money than helping the students.”

Izabella Feijo-Everett, freshman agriculture education major, said she noticed the rise in temperature before spring break and it’s continued to climb. 

“Not me personally, but the highest (temperature)  I’ve heard from friends is 106 in their room,” Feijo-Everett said. “My room has been up to 96 at its worst.” 

She said with these high temperatures, Housing has not offered her a fan to use. 

At the end of February, Springer-Franklin reported similar heating issues. 

Franklin residents were sent an email offering fans on a first-come, first-serve basis. The email also indicated a problem with the HVAC system. 

“Facilities Management is aware and expecting a part this week to repair the HVAC system in HC Franklin,” the email read.

A White resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said residents were not offered fans and there has been no communication from the Housing Office. 

“There has been no effort on their part to reach out to the students,” she said. “However, not just myself, but other students have reached out to them.” 

This resident said the communication with the Housing Office was not helpful and she was advised to buy a fan and open a window. 

She said this experience has been frustrating and hopes the University takes action. 

“However I feel as though if they were getting this many complaints they should realize something needs to be done other than opening a window,” she said. “It has become a bigger issue from the heating unit being old, due to the fact Franklin is having similar issues. In my opinion this has become an issue of simply not wanting to fix the problem.” 

Eleanor Vaughn, Franklin Residential College Council president, posted an update on the Family page Monday night. 

“A piece in our AC unit broke, but the company that made the unit no longer makes that piece, so it had to be special-ordered,” Vaughn said. “The good news is, that piece has arrived and is being installed!”

Vaughn said students can reach out to the Housing Office or their resident advisor with concerns. 

“In the meantime, if your child’s room is too hot to sleep in, many buildings have fans they can borrow from the front desk,” Vaughn said. “If that doesn’t help, they can also apply for temporary emergency housing, and they will be given a temporary room in a different building to stay in until their room has cooled down.”

Feijo-Everett said this experience has made her reconsider whether she continues at Murray State. 

“I have good friends here and great professors, but the housing situation….makes me wanna move to another school or become a commuter,” Feijo-Everett said. 

Feijo-Everett’s mom said they are considering UT Martin as an option. 

Shawn Touney, executive director of marketing and communication, said with the changes in temperature, heat in all residence halls and academic buildings have been turned off.  

“All student work orders that have been placed have been or are being addressed, as this is always a top priority for our Facilities Management area,” Touney said. “We appreciate our residential students notifying us of issues within their residence hall and being patient as our Facilities Management staff is working diligently. Any residential student with concerns is encouraged to contact the desk staff in their hall or the Housing Office.”