Students Face Overflow Conditions in Housing

Many students came to Langston University expecting to be properly accommodated, but were shocked to see that they were not met with the housing accommodations that they had been promised.

When Khalid Rhône, a freshman quad major, arrived on campus this fall, he didn’t head to his assigned housing community. Instead, due to Langston exceeding its housing capacity, he was placed in overflow housing in Young Hall because no regular housing assignment was available to him.

Langston University is facing the same issue it faced back in 2021, when several students came to campus only to find there was no housing available for them. This is the second housing shortage; this semester, based on official waitlists for different housing communities provided to The Gazette throughout the first eight weeks of the semester, there were at least four hundred students without housing, which led them to search for other alternatives.

Many students were unable to find other alternatives during this time. I sat down with Rhônes, and he said that ”I’m a McCabe scholar; I was supposed to be in Centennial. And they told me that I was on a waiting list on July 14th … my mom emailed them on July 1st, but they didn’t answer back until July 14th about the wait list.”

Rhônes expressed his frustration, saying, “I believe that I was going to be, you know, in Centennial as I thought I was. But then they told me I was going to be in Young Hall. And when I got to Young Hall, they [had] told me I had a private room, then came to find out that I had a roommate.”

This fall, the university admitted more students than its dorms could hold, straining the campus, surrounding communities, and students who enrolled in the university.

A freshman Langston student named Rylan Anderson had issues with the way housing dealt with problems. “Finding a way we can get work orders done faster, and get things done efficiently within housing. Housing, they half-fix things with just a band-aid.”

Anderson went on to express his concern, saying that, “They expect students to be satisfied with what is being done. Some students are even missing appliances. Several students brought these concerns up to housing.” Langston University’s housing department has a history of failing to address issues proactively. When students raise concerns, they are often dismissed, as if their complaints are being ignored rather than resolved.

Last semester, I personally experienced a lack of support, even after submitting work orders. For example, my floor had water damage, my walls had holes, and mold was found in the air vents. It took the housing department a long time to address and resolve these issues in my previous housing community, Centennial.

Due to housing’s lack of communication, many students have struggled with getting help from housing. Several students have sent multiple emails to the housing department, but many have not received responses. Oftentimes, even when they do respond, their answer doesn’t clearly address what students actually need to know.

After hearing the concerns of many Langston students, it’s clear that housing issues go beyond individual cases. They’re a campus-wide problem. Students want better communication and living spaces that are safe, clean, and well-maintained. Addressing these concerns is essential for improving student life and creating an environment where students can focus on their education rather than worry about where they live.

If you’re a student who has similar issues and have been unable to get in touch with housing, contact the chair of the housing committee, Tez Collins, by email at savontez.collins@langston.edu, or reach out to me, Christian Macklin, the co-chair of the housing committee, at chmackl@okstate.edu for further assistance.

Correction Addition: The reporter made or attempted to make contact prior to publication with Eugene Buckman (assistant dean of students for residential life), Traveno Carter (residential director for scholars inn), Desmond Massey (associate director of housing services), and Joshua Busby (dean of students). All either declined to comment or did not respond to emails requesting comment.