University parents voice housing concerns as the 2024-25 academic year approaches

As the Buckeye family grows even larger, concerns about housing accommodations for first- and second-year students are also on the rise.

The class of 2028 had a record-breaking number of applicants — around 80,000 — Ben Johnson, university spokesperson, said in an email. This year’s first-year class is expected to be larger than last year’s first-year class  — though the exact number is unknown by the university until students arrive and the autumn census data is compiled — Dave Isaacs, university spokesperson, said in an email. Last year’s first-year class contained 7,983 students, according to the Autumn 2023 Enrollment Report .

This increase in the first-year student population has caused some shifts in this year’s on-campus housing plan. Issacs said in order to accommodate this year’s first-year class, the university is “configuring many rooms” to host a higher number of residents.

“Rest assured; we are not increasing room density past each room’s designed limit and safety capacity,” Issacs said.

Parents, however, have begun to express concerns about the housing conditions being offered.

Lynda DiPasquale, an Ohio State parent, said in an email she is concerned with the sanitary standards that come with adding more students to dorm rooms. Her student — who she said was assigned to Lincoln Tower — will have a total of 16 students living in one suite. They will be responsible for cleaning their shared bathroom, which is not considered a communal bathroom. The Lincoln Tower bathrooms consist of three toilet stalls and two showers, according to the Office of Student Life’s Housing and Residence Education website .

“I understand that students in regular quads are responsible for cleaning their one sink, one shower and one toilet,” DiPasquale said. “I also understand that, like Lincoln, Morrill does not have janitorial services. A 16-person suite, however, is a communal space. The bathroom within each suite is a communal bathroom.”

Another parent, Lynn Lascola, voiced her worries over bathroom cleanliness for her student assigned to Lincoln Tower, as the bathrooms are only cleaned by janitorial staff over breaks.

“While this may have somewhat worked when there were 8-10 residents sharing the bathroom these past 2 years, I do not have faith that it will work well at all for SIXTEEN residents this year,” Lascola said in a Facebook message. “Sixteen people sharing a bathroom is a lot. Many universities and gyms have daily cleaning services for toilets/showers/sinks that are used this often. Twice/week seems like the minimum clean and yet Ohio State is saying they will only clean it over winter break. I’ve seen TikToks and heard stories about how bad the bathrooms got last year with 10 residents, I don’t want to imagine how bad they will get with regular use by 16.”

According to the Office of Student Life Housing and Residence Education’s website , this upcoming year, Lincoln Tower only contains four-person suites within a four-suite cluster, or 16 people per cluster. There is one four-suite cluster in the building that contains one person per suite, or four people in the cluster.

The website also states the hall desk’s staff allows residents to check out “supplies, vacuums, etc.”

Despite these concerns of overcrowded dorms and cleanliness, Johnson said “Ohio State did not over-enroll,” and the university will provide academic and student life services to support new students.

“We are committed to ensuring class availability during each student’s time on campus, and we are prepared to provide access to student life and academic resources and services, no matter the size of our classes,” Johnson said.

Issacs said the university is not requiring students who already have a housing contract to give up their current on-campus accommodations, but is optioning second-year students and above to give up their housing contract and move off-campus.

Most students typically sign off-campus leases in the autumn semester around a year prior to moving. Isaacs said students will only be considered to move off-campus if they apply to do so.

Isaacs did not confirm if students who chose to live off-campus would receive their space reservation fee — a $300 fee charged to students to hold their place on campus — back.

“Students who are approved will not be assessed a housing release fee and can receive assistance looking for accommodations through Willie J. Young Sr. Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement, including use of The Ohio State University Off-Campus Housing Network, an extensive database of units for which property owners have agreed to commit to meeting certain criteria,” Isaacs said.

Isaacs said the university recognizes the “impact of a larger class size,” and said there are “groups working across the university to prepare for their arrival.”