'I pay a ridiculous amount in tuition to practically be hustled out'
CMU students express their frustration over new Order Week expectations
East Campus housing dorms entrance. CM Life file photo.
When final exams are approaching, many Central Michigan University students said the stress of studying has been intensified by what they see as confusing move-out expectations from Residence Life.
Among those affected was Kendal Sutton, an out-of-state student.
“I pay a ridiculous amount in tuition to practically be hustled out a month before finals,” she said. “Plus, the rooms look so depressing.”
The original move-out instructions, sent via email from Residence Life on April 9, stated that halls close at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 10 and encouraged students to move out during the week before finals to reduce noise.
But students said that wording, combined with required Order Week inspections from April 21–27, gave the impression that they were being forced to move out weeks in advance.
Order Week is a newly implemented process during which Residence Life staff visit each room to check that students have begun preparing their spaces for move-out. This includes tasks like lowering lofted beds, removing wall decorations and addressing any damages.
A breakdown of the timeline shows how compressed the schedule was:
- April 9: Initial email sent from Residence Life
- April 11–13: Majority of students first learned of the policy
- April 21: Clarification email sent
- April 21–27: Order Week room inspections took place
Interim Director of Residence Life Michelle Veith said that the May 10 move-out deadline has not changed. The intent, she said, was to encourage students to begin preparing their rooms early and avoid fines.
According to CMU’s official Housing Contract, students are required to vacate their room within 24 hours of their last scheduled final exam. The contract also states that rooms must be left clean and in good condition, and that students are financially liable for any damages or violations.
“No one is being asked to move out two weeks early,” Veith said. “We are asking that people begin getting their rooms move-out ready for when they finish their exams.”
Veith said the policy originated from issues during past express checkouts, where students failed to communicate with roommates and left rooms in poor condition. She acknowledged the confusion caused by the original email and said a clarification was sent out April 21.
“We apologize to our residents for any frustration this has caused,” Veith said.
The April 21 follow-up email said that students are not required to move out before finals but encouraged to complete as much preparation as possible during Order Week. It explained that during Order Week, staff members would visit each unit to have conversations with residents about what still needed to be done before final move-out, such as repairing damages, lowering beds or removing personal items.
The purpose, according to the email, was to help students avoid fines, clarify any confusion and allow roommates to discuss responsibility for damages ahead of time. The email also reinforced that all residents must complete a final, in-person checkout with a staff member by 6 p.m. on May 10.
But Sutton said she only learned she didn’t have to move out early after contacting her resident assistant.
“They basically restated the same thing as the original,” she said. “I can’t do anything until after finals. My parents were only able to take a few things home in my dad’s small car.”
Similarly, Carley Dreyer, a sophomore with an emotional support animal, said the policy has made her already-busy schedule even harder to manage.
“I have to lower my bed, but that’s where my animal's space is,” Dreyer said. “All of my roommates have stuff under their beds so we don't have room.”
Dreyer, an art major, said Order Week coincides with her final project deadlines and she doesn’t plan to move out early.
“We pay so much for housing,” she said. “Now they expect us to take down all of our decor that makes our rooms feel like home. It makes exams more stressful without your dorm feeling like a safe space.”
