Sometimes, roommate conflicts do result in a room change. Residence Life staff will work with students to find new room accommodations on campus (when spaces are available). Students are required to participate in roommate mediation before a room change is approved. This is to ensure that students have the opportunity to intentionally engage in learning conflict management skills and to ensure all roommates have the experience of attempting to compromise and work out a solution, which is an important part of community life.
The role of Residence Life staff is not to determine which roommate is at fault for the demise of the relationship. Rather our role is (a) to assist in the communication which is aimed at resolving conflict and (b) to make logistical arrangements for room changes when necessary. This means that we will work with students who come to us to move into a new room. We will not make their roommate move unless this is an agreed upon solution reached during mediation.
