Parents of university students raise concerns about accommodation as 2024-25 academic year approaches

As the Buckeye family continues to grow, concerns about housing for freshmen and sophomore students also grow.

The class of 2028 had a record number of applicants — about 80,000 — university spokesman Ben Johnson said in an email. This year’s freshman class is expected to be larger than last year’s freshman class — though the university will not release the exact number until students arrive and fall census data is compiled — university spokesman Dave Isaacs said in an email. Last year’s freshman class included 7,983 students, according to the Fall 2023 Enrollment Report.

This increase in the number of freshmen has led to some changes in this year’s on-campus housing plan. Issacs said that to accommodate this year’s freshmen, “the university is reconfiguring many rooms” to accommodate a larger number of residents.

“Rest assured, we are not increasing room density beyond the designed limit and safety capacity of each room,” Issacs said.

However, parents are increasingly expressing concerns about the housing conditions offered.

Lynda DiPasquale, an Ohio State parent, said in an email she was concerned about the sanitation standards that come with housing more students in dorm rooms. Her student — who she said was assigned to Lincoln Tower — will have a total of 16 students in a suite. They will be responsible for cleaning their shared bathroom, which is not considered a communal bathroom. The bathrooms in Lincoln Tower consist of three toilet stalls and two showers, according to the Office of Student Life’s Housing and Residential Care Division. website.

“I understand that students in regular quad rooms are responsible for cleaning their sink, shower and toilet,” DiPasquale said. “I also understand that Morrill, like Lincoln, does not have janitorial services. However, a 16-person suite is a shared space. The bathroom in each suite is a shared bathroom.”

Another mother, Lynn Lascola, expressed concern about the cleanliness of her child’s toilets in Lincoln Tower, as they are only cleaned by cleaning staff during breaks.

“This may have worked somewhat when 8-10 residents shared the bathroom the last two years, but I don’t think it will work well at all this year for SIXTEEN residents,” Lascola said in a Facebook message. “Sixteen people sharing a bathroom is a lot. Many universities and gyms offer daily cleaning services for toilets/showers/sinks that are used so often. Twice a week seems to be the minimum, and yet Ohio State says they will only clean it during winter break. I’ve seen TikToks and heard stories about how bad the bathrooms were last year with 10 residents. I don’t want to imagine how bad they will get with regular use by 16.”

According to the Office of Student Life Housing and Residence Education websiteNext year, Lincoln Tower will only have four-person suites in a four-suite cluster, or 16 people per cluster. There will be a four-suite cluster in the building with one person per suite, or four people in the cluster.

The website It also states that reception staff allows residents to borrow “supplies, vacuum cleaners, etc.”

Despite these concerns about overcrowded dormitories and lack of cleanliness, Johnson said there is “no overenrollment at Ohio State University” and that the university will provide academic and student services to support new students.

“We are committed to ensuring that instructional offerings are available to every student during their time on campus, and we are prepared to provide access to student life and academic resources and services regardless of the size of our classes,” Johnson said.

Issacs said the university does not require students who already have a housing contract to give up their current on-campus accommodation, but offers students in their second year and beyond the option to give up their housing contract and move off-campus.

Most students typically sign leases for off-campus housing in the fall semester, about a year before moving in. Isaacs said students will only be considered for an off-campus move if they apply for it.

Isaacs did not confirm whether students who chose to live off-campus would receive their $300 seat reservation fee. fee charged to students to keep their place on campus.

“Students who are admitted will not be required to pay a housing release fee and can receive housing assistance through Willie J. Young Sr. Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement. This includes using The Ohio State University Off-Campus Housing Network, a comprehensive database of housing units whose owners have committed to meeting certain criteria,” Isaacs said.

Isaacs said the university was aware of the “impact of larger class sizes,” adding that there were “university-wide groups preparing for their implementation.”