Dear KSU Housing,

I must admit, I am thoroughly disappointed with your decision to change the KSU Place dormitories to entirely freshman housing. First off, the manner that this news was broken to the current residents of KP was completely unprofessional and rude.

For months, we were under the impression that we were eligible to renew our leases for the 2016-2017 school year. It wasn't until a few days before the housing application opened that some rumors began floating around that our beloved home-away-from-home may not be available to us for the upcoming year. This couldn't be true, right? Many students, including myself, attempted to contact the housing administration for answers, but we found the staff to be rudely unresponsive. I called multiple times and left several messages, but my concerns were ignored; my calls were never returned.

Once the housing application opened for lease renewals, all KP residents who attempted to do so learned they were unable to. By this time, confusion and panic overwhelmed the KP community because no one understood why no one told us about this in advance. Days later, you finally sent us an email confirming our fear. This untimely notification was not only inconsiderate but also extremely unfair. Why weren't we notified earlier in the school year to plan accordingly?

Your lack of consideration leaves us with few options. The only other designated housing for upperclassmen on the Kennesaw campus is the Austin Residence Complex. This is a very nice dormitory, but it is $115 more per month than what we pay now at KP. That's $1,380 more per year. It is utterly outrageous for you to expect us to be able to afford this much of a price increase. KP was the affordable housing option for a diverse group of students and you are ultimately taking that away from us.

Another option would be to find off-campus housing. As there are various apartment complexes and houses in the Kennesaw area, many upperclassmen prefer to stay on campus. Contrary to common belief, freshmen are not the only ones who benefit from living on campus.

Some upperclassmen, like myself, do not have cars, so getting to and from class would be challenging if they were to live in an off-campus apartment complex. I understand that Bob The Bus is an available transportation option for some off-campus apartments, but it isn't always 100 percent reliable.

The last option that many people may, unfortunately, have to turn to is to commute. Housing space was already tight before the merger with Southern Poly, but with the increase of students and limited space, there isn't nearly enough room for everyone. For many students, commuting is not ideal, and over time, this may even push some students to transfer to another university.

In all honesty, we residents of KSU Place are furious about this abrupt and outrageous change. One student, Annalee Eagerton, spoke her mind about the issue and stated, "Overall, I cannot fully describe my disappointment in KSU Housing for its decision. I had hoped that the importance of the previously returning upperclassmen would outweigh the desire to make a profit off of an incoming class that does not yet exist, and [I] am saddened that that is not the case." She then continued on to say, "To imply that they do not deserve the housing they have given their loyalty and money to is disrespectful, especially as their years-long residence here has proven that not only are they committed to your housing but to the university in general, and are, [therefore,] more secure market than the incoming freshmen."

Another student, Juline Limyadi, is also unhappy about these recent changes. She stated, "Kennesaw really needs to notice that this is absolutely rude to us students [who are] trying to find an affordable place to live so we can receive the education we paid for."

So please, KSU Housing, hear us out. You're taking away our home-away-from-home and leaving us with very limited, inconvenient options. We are your students, your customers and your supporters, so take a moment to see how your actions are impacting us. We love being a part of the Owl Nation, but your actions are ruffling our feathers.

Sincerely,

KSU Place Residents

Please sign this petition to have your voice heard!