NORFOLK, Va. — The first week of the fall semester wrapped up Friday at Norfolk State University.
While the first week is usually a time to get adjusted to campus life and make new friends, some students told News 3 they aren't getting the full college experience for which they're paying. That's because the university is out of places for students to live, meaning some students are living in hotels. Again.
Jayda Rogers just finished the first week of classes at Norfolk State University. She's a sophomore, studying sociology.
"Classes have been going pretty good," she said. "The professors are really nice."
No problems with classes, but she's taking issue with her living situation.
Instead of a dorm room, she's staying in the Holiday Inn hotel off Greenwich Road in Virginia Beach, miles away from campus.
"I was told that I would be living in the hotel on Aug. 11," Rogers said. "That was six days prior to move in."
There are shuttles that take her to and from classes, but she can't help but feel a bit disconnected from campus.
But it's what she found inside her hotel room that is the problem. She said it all started with sinus issues.
"My nose was running, I was sneezing, congested, and I was always wondering why," she said.
She did some investigating and found the root of the issue.
"There's mold on the shower curtain, and there's mold around the rim of the tub, and there's mold in the toilet, and there was mold in the sink," Rogers said. "I'm breathing this in every day, every time I come in just to do my regular hygiene. It's unbelievable."
Rogers isn't the only one, though.
Makayla Ward, another sophomore, had concerns about her room, as well.
"It smells like water or mold water or mold in the room," she said."Me nor my roommate could breathe. It's really hard."
She said she also found bed bugs in her room.
Ward was moved back to a different room but has since moved back to Chesterfield, Virginia.
"It caused me to have an asthma attack yesterday," she said.
She's unsure whether she'll continue her studies at NSU.
News 3 ran a similar story last year, where NSU students were being placed in hotel rooms due to a building that was closed for renovations.
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‘I feel like it’s unfair’: NSU students react to staying in hotels not on-campus
According to Assistant Vice President for Campus Life and Diversity Dr. Faith Fitzgerald, the issue this year is overcrowding on campus.
"This year, we just had an increase in the number of students asking to live on campus and an increase in enrollment," Dr. Fitzgerald said.
Dr. Fitzgerald said the students who are in hotels missed the application deadline for housing on campus.
"The deadline for housing was passed, and we were good, but students kept applying all the way through August," Dr. Fitzgerald said. "The decision was made to try and find space to accommodate students who are trying to finish their education, and so that’s why we decided to go out and get hotels."
Dr. Fitzgerald said things could change now that the class cancellation period has ended, but it's unclear what that could mean in terms of finding rooms for students in on-campus housing. She said some students should expect to stay in hotels, but there could be a possibility of condensing hotels.
Currently, there are three hotels being used.
The university acknowledges that it has received complaints from students in one of the hotels.
"There are 155 students there, and we've gotten reports of bed bugs, three reports, two reports of mold," Dr. Fitzgerald said. "We've not gotten reports from the other students."
Dr. Fitzgerald said she and her team have met twice with students to hear their concerns, and the hotel has had vendors come in to do testing.
"We want to take it seriously and address it," she said.
Rogers called it an "uncomfortable" and "unpleasant" environment.
"I can’t take a 30-minute long shower without my nose just running," Rogers said. "I wish I could have a better decision on where I live."
She told News 3's Jay Greene, she's not satisfied with the university's response.
"I love my HBCU, I love the education they bring, but I feel as though, for them always having an emphasis on student care, they really need to put the student’s best interest first," Rogers said. "They’ve made these posts, but I have not seen no immediate action."
It should also be noted that News 3 reached out to IHG Hotels and Resorts, the parent company of Holiday Inn. They directed us to hotel management. We've left a message and are waiting to hear back.
