Boston College will be resuming the room selection process for the 2020-2021 academic year on Wednesday, according to a Friday email from the Office of Residential Life to students who had not participated in room selection before campus was closed.
Following the announcement that the University would be moving all classes online and requiring students to evacuate residence halls, ResLife explained in an email to the student body that it had suspended room selection to better facilitate the move-out process. The selection days for only six-person and four-person apartments had occurred before room selection was suspended.
Selection for two- and three-person apartments will occur on Wednesday, and six-person suites will be selected on Thursday. Selection for eight-, four-, six-, and nine-person suites, as well as traditional-style housing, will occur the following week. Registration for room selection will last from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST with pick times beginning at 4 p.m., according to the email.
ResLife advised that students contact the office with any concerns regarding dates or times.
“We understand that with many students in different time zones, there may be challenges or complications with registration and selection times,” the email reads.
Housing selection had been paused after the March 11 announcement that BC would be evacuating its students and moving all classes online. Students did not receive emails regarding the rescheduling of room selection until Friday, March 20.
“I definitely wish they had communicated to us in between then and now,” said Emily Donofrio, CSOM ’23. “If they still haven’t figured it out, send out an update saying, ‘It’s not this week. We’ll tell you on this day so you know.’”
The University’s closure has complicated the housing process for students, who now have to coordinate housing remotely.
“Not all being in the same place definitely poses some challenges, especially as some things in our group have yet to be decided, like direct roommates,” Donofrio said. “Like when we find out our pick time and have that four-hour period to do our research and figure out where we’re looking, it’s going to be harder to get everyone all looking at the same thing, communicating effectively.”
“While it’s difficult to have to deal with this from home, especially considering one of my roommates is international so we are on completely different time zones, I’m trying to make the best of the situation by coordinating with my other roommates and prepping together,” said Emily Schwartzman, CSOM ’23.
But Donofrio acknowledged the unique circumstances that have affected ResLife and the rest of the BC community as the school adjusts to the University’s closure.
“I think a lot of people tried to talk to [ResLife] for different reasons, but they probably did what they could because it was a difficult situation for everybody,” Donofrio said. “Nobody expected this. It’s unprecedented. No one had all the answers because no one knew what was going on.”
