University Senate: CPH housing looking into releasing students from their leases without penalties

Cal Poly Humboldt students voice their concerns and frustrations about housing  at the University Senate meeting on Feb. 7. 

Many current residents at CPH were surprised by the housing plan for Fall 2023. The plan to limit housing on campus to freshman and transfer students has caused an outrage. 

Associated Students President Juan Guerrero said at Tuesday’s meeting, “We should give students the ability to find housing by getting them off their lease.” 

Stephen St. Onge, CPH Housing executive director of auxiliary services, said that is a possibility that they could look into. 

Caleb Jerome, first year freshman, spoke about the issues students face as a result of the plan to house a limited number of students.

Another student suggested putting a cap on incoming students to which Jenn Capps, provost and vice president for academic affairs, said, “We have been severely under-enrolled. We are in no position to put a cap. We need to get enrollment back up. We have a lot of interested students coming in. We could have done a better job and we are busting our butt. 

Why are first year students leaving?

A presentation was given by Angela Rich, Research Analyst, Institutional Effectiveness, about why first year students leave. The study that ran from 2015 to 2022 found that many students leave because of homesickness. 

60% of students weren’t sure where they would go after they would drop whereas 53% of students said that they would transfer to another CSU. 

Rich also showed that the study found many students of color are leaving because of CPH’s lack of representation, microaggressions and housing discrimination. 

“We have the data. We don’t want to traumatize our students again,” Rich said.