Editor’s Note: PGM staff members decide on the topic of a Staff Ed together. The staff as a whole provides opinions and content included in this Staff Ed to provide thoughts about and shed light on solutions for happenings at Pepperdine.
The end of an academic year is an exciting time for all. As a chapter closes, a new one opens.
For some, excitement creeps in as they are about to embark on a summertime adventure whether that’s in the form of a summer study abroad program, a vacation or a trip back home.
However, preparing for the summer of a lifetime often comes with the stress and panic of finals week and moving out.
Students are expected to leave 24 hours after their last final exams or 9 a.m., Friday the week of finals. For every hour a student is late for check-out, they are charged $50, according to the Pepperdine Community website.
The last possible final exam ends Thursday at 4 p.m. Students who have their last final then don’t get 24 hours to pack up and clean their dorm, let alone do it according to Pepperdine’s standards.
Failure to appropriately clean a room results in a fine of $100. If the kitchen area is deemed “unacceptable,” the fine is $200, according to the Pepperdine Community website.
If it’s deemed “extreme,” the fine is $300, according to the Pepperdine Community website. But there is no clear definition of what constitutes “unacceptable” and “extreme.”
For students who are running out of time to move out due to final exams, they may not be able to move out properly, and there is potential to be fined.
For some students, leaving campus isn’t as simple as throwing your luggage in the trunk of your car and driving home. Many students have to look into flights, find somewhere to store their larger belongings and arrange a ride to the airport, all while trying to prepare for finals. Such is the case of out-of-state and international students as they prepare to move out.
Not to mention, graduating seniors have to prepare for and take finals, say their last goodbyes to friends and faculty, attend graduation celebrations and wrap up any loose ends all while having to meet the tight deadline of moving out.
First-year students get a whole week to properly move in during New Student Orientation, and while that much time isn’t needed to move out, extending the deadline slightly would help significantly.
Instead of having students move out 24 hours after their last final, all students should be given the same deadline and have the deadline be pushed to 5 p.m. Friday rather than 9 a.m. This can give more time for students to properly move out and alleviate stress. This eliminates the requirement for students to move out while other students are still on campus.
Additionally, expectations should be made clear about what would result in a fine, what is considered “extreme” and what is considered “unacceptable,” as it would help students be made more aware of what is needed of them as they leave.
The University can also provide students with storage unit options and a way to make them accessible for students who live out of state or internationally, like providing transportation to and from the storage units.
What students need at the end of a busy and tiresome semester is grace from the University in the form of making the move-out process as easy as possible.
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