Residence Life will no longer offer students the opportunity to switch dorm rooms starting this December.

Biola allowed four room changes within a school year in the past, according to the Associated Dean of Resident Life, Beth Tabor. Amy Voelker in undergraduate housing said that about 100 to 200 students switch roommates every December.

How will this impact students?

Residence Life has slowly lessened the amount of times students are allowed to switch rooms within a school year over the past few years. Now, students will no longer have the option of relocating on campus.

Tabor said Resident Life will watch carefully for the impact that this new policy might have on students.

“I don’t want anyone to feel trapped when we can advocate for them,” Tabor said.

What about conflict?

Tabor said that at other colleges, room changes are often unheard of–– they are logistically hard. The fact that Biola offers interterm housing poses a difficulty to those who are trying to change rooms. This can make for some conflicts between those that are moving into a new dorm room and those who are currently occupying that same room.

Tabor said she has noticed over the past few years that students are not as willing to address conflict.

“There is more inability to navigate conflict every year,” Tabor said. “People are scared to handle conflict.”

Tabor realizes that there are some rooming situations that call for a room switch; some roommates don’t get along as well as expected. In such circumstances, Residence Life will step into the problem, Tabor said, either to resolve the conflict or allow for a room change.

What do students think?

Sophomore Elizabeth Diaz commented that the inability to switch roommates at the beginning of the last school year would have hindered her, rather than helped her.

“I don’t think it’s fair because they’re not living what we’re living through,” Diaz said. “You can’t come to a place of rest where someone is always on your back. I mean, this is our home, right?”

“If people are having problems, ResLife wants to encourage working out your problems,” Tabor said.

Not all students are opposed to the removal of mid-year room switches.

“I think its fine because it gets people to relate to people, and they aren’t able to switch over petty things,” freshman Jeffrey Bauserman said. “It teaches life lessons, because you’re not always going to work with people that you like.”

Senior Bethany Rawlings agreed, and said that students would benefit from disallowance of simple room switches.

“You are supposed to learn more than just academics while in college,” Rawlings said. “Learning how to settle conflicts, especially with someone you’re living with, is very important.”