Ronni ButtsAlena Dockery has grown frustrated with the conditions in her residence hall. After hearing frequent complaints about subpar housing conditions from her peers, Dockery decided to act towards improvements.
In February, Dockery created “The NCCU Quality of Life Project,” a project seeking to improve housing conditions by presenting documented issues to N.C. Central University’s administration.
“I want to make sure that we can document the issues that we’re having and then also create a clear path of communication for students to get things worked on … so that we can have a good living experience on campus,” the political science freshman said.
Dockery, the project’s only member, created a report detailing the complaints of Eagles according to each residence hall.
The report includes a survey with 881 responses from NCCU students which she shared on Fizz, a student forum app. Dockery said that she also conducted interviews with several students.
Those complaints, in addition to concerns of her own, prompted her to begin the project.
Some of the issues listed in the report include discolored water, mold, rusted and dysfunctional bathroom fixtures. Inconsistencies with hot water was the most common concern among students.
“Given that current processes do not appear to inhibit the development of or adequately resolve these reported issues, we propose an integrative approach to dormitory maintenance involving Residential Life, Student Affairs staff, and students,” a portion of the report reads.
Dockery also said she worries that issues like mold may lead to poor health for students with diseases like asthma, which Black people are more susceptible to, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Lena Barnhardt, a mass communication freshman living in Eagleson Residence Hall, NCCU’s oldest and largest dormitory, said the dorm frequently has broken washing machines, dryers and shower heads in the communal bathrooms.
She added that there are two washing machines and dryers on every other floor, with several floors having dysfunctional machines.
“You have to fight and dodge to just wash your clothes,” Barnhardt said.
Barnhardt, who lives on the eighth floor, also said that the elevators are frequently out of order. She said that having to climb eight flights of stairs discourages her from going to class at times.
Andrea Haey, another Eagleson resident, wrote to the Campus Echo that sometimes the doors to students’ rooms break or have trouble closing.
“There have been times [when] me and my roommate came back to our room and the door was still wide open,” Haey added.
In addition to the report Dockery created using the survey results, she has compiled images of housing issues sent by students in their respective dorms in a Google Drive folder.
Dockery sent her report to Angela Coleman, the vice chancellor of student affairs, who directed Dockery’s report to the Student Government Association so they can collaborate on improving the issue.
“Thank you for reaching out and for your dedication to advocating for your fellow Eagles,” Coleman said in an email to Dockery, who later shared the message with the Campus Echo. “We appreciate the time and effort you have put into documenting these concerns.”
“The university will facilitate a discussion between student leaders, the Facilities Department, and Residential Life to collaboratively explore solutions to the concerns outlined in your [Dockery’s] report.”
SGA President Emmanuel Davis confirmed that he received the report and has been “in contact with administration.”
Dockery said that despite her findings in her report, she still planned to live on campus until she graduates.
“It means a lot less for people to be advocating for issues if you’re not, in some regard, personally involved in it,” Dockery said.
