By Angelica Flores
When a University chooses the cheapest option over the most humane one, it tells you exactly where its priorities lie.
I am writing to express concern about Dominican University’s treatment of housing-insecure students, especially considering the recent $200,000 grant from the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the largest award among the ten institutions selected through the End Student Housing Insecurity (ESHI) grant program.
Despite available on-campus housing, Dominican chose to relocate housing-insecure students to the YMCA for the summer. Those who opted out of relocation were charged $1,400, unlike previous years where housing fees for these students were waived. This directly contradicts section E1, of the Higher Education Housing and Opportunities Act which states, “(e) Each institution that provides on-campus housing for students enrolled at the institution shall: (1) grant priority for on-campus housing to students experiencing homelessness and students in care who are enrolled at the institution, including, but not limited to, access to on-campus housing that remains open during academic breaks, and waive fees for on-campus housing during academic breaks;”
The YMCA lacked a kitchen, depriving these students of the necessity to cook proper, healthy, and sustainable meals. When I spoke with Sarah Johnson, the Dean of Students and asked how these students were expected to eat throughout the summer, she replied, “Well, there’s a microwave.” When I later asked the Vice President, Gabe Laura, how Dominican was prioritizing on-campus housing for these students, as per the Housing Act stated above, his response was, “We are moving them to the YMCA.” These two statements not only fail to prioritize on-campus housing but disregard the realities of students who rely on the university as a sanctuary. I, like many other housing insecure students, have grown accustomed to campus life, whether it be relying on the food pantry or the many on-campus job opportunities. Though, I was highly disappointed when I was greeted with the recent relocation decision, that my new reality would be to either spend hours walking between my three jobs only to come “home” to a place without even a kitchen to unwind with a real meal, or cough up $1,400 to live on campus. Why target such a vulnerable group of students, who have already dug their roots deep into the foundations of Dominican University? Why turn a blind eye to students who have already clawed their way out of unfortunate housing circumstances, just to pull the only form of safety right from under them?
It is deeply troubling that despite receiving the highest ESHI grant in the state, the University chose the cheapest and least accommodating option for its most vulnerable students. As a institution that claims to uphold values of justice, care, and community, Dominican MUST be held accountable for ensuring that all students, especially those without stable housing, are provided with safe, adequate, and dignified living conditions. True justice requires more than empty promises, it requires action that reflects compassion and equity.
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