It’s not uncommon to hear students complain about housing at Dillard. The conversation goes like this: Students pay more than $30,000 a year to attend Dillard University, so why doesn’t Dillard have better housing options?

Juwan Magee, a sophomore business administration major from New Orleans, said, “Williams Hall is the worst,” citing problems with slow Internet connection and slow response on maintenance requests. For example, Magee said, the air conditioner in his room was broken and it took maintenance two to three days to arrive and fix the problem.

Jalen Moore, a sophomore computer science major from Alexandria, he had, “mixed feelings” about housing because of the maintenance.

Dannette Saylor, assistant vice president and dean of students, defended the dorms, by saying, “The residence halls do provide adequate housing for students. Could they be improved? Absolutely.”

When she was told that some students called Williams Hall the worst, she replied, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; some students pick Williams Hall as their first choice” because the rooms are larger.

She said the residential team is “strengthening the program for residential life” by planning more events to get students out of their rooms and “doing some things that can benefit you.”

Additionally, she reported a new program called “Adopt a Room,” in which fraternities and sororities are picking unoccupied rooms in Williams Hall to redo: “They’re going to go in and outfit the rooms, and they’re not just going to be for sorority or fraternity members.

“That is their gift to the Dillard community,” she said, adding other students can help and earn community service hours.

Christina Woodard
Mass Communication sophomore
Baton Rouge