Hall seniors forced to move to Evelyn Gardens

Felix has learnt that at least four Hall Seniors, who had been selected for places at Beit and Prince's Gardens, have been assigned accommodation at the newly re-opened Evelyn Gardens halls without their consent.

As the Freshers received their offers of accommodation early last week, Hall Seniors expected to hear from the Halls that had confirmed their places way back in March.

No prior warning was given to the handful of Hall Seniors, who were greeted with an invoice for rooms at Bernard Sunley or Fisher. An accompanying letter from the Student Hub repeated the previous statement that an “unprecedented rate of exam success among prospective students” has meant that a number of Halls in Evelyn Gardens were being re-opened. No explanation or apology was given, and the students were asked to confirm their place within four days.

No explanation or apology was given, and the students were asked to confirm their place within four days.

This news comes after the surprise announcement that Evelyn Gardens would reopen, despite concerns about the condition and lease status of the halls.

The decision was not approved by the Wardens of the Halls that these students had been plucked from. When approached by the affected individuals, the Accommodation Office told the Hall Seniors there was nothing they could do.

Speaking on behalf of the Imperial College Union, the Deputy President of Welfare, Jennie Watson, called the situation “totally unacceptable”. Both the Union and College were aware of the Hall Senior shortage, but the Union’s intention had been to “find a new, fair way to recruit” them, and its aim now is to “have the Seniors who were unfairly moved placed back in their original Halls”.

Beit, Selkirk and Wilkinson are all now minus several Hall Seniors: good news for the College’s accommodation department, who have struggled this year to offer rooms to all new starters. Union insiders suspect that reducing Hall Senior numbers has long been a target for the College.

Aspiring Hall Seniors are subjected to an interview process conducted by their chosen Hall of residence. They do not receive any kind of accommodation subsidy and are expected to contribute to the running of their Hall. Many students choose to return to the Hall they were allocated as Freshers.

A spokesperson for the College agreed that “this was not an acceptable way to notify the Hall Seniors involved”, adding that it had been their “intention to discuss this move with the students in person, regretfully due to an error they were contacted by an automated system”.

A decision concerning the living arrangements of the prospective Hall Seniors is expected next Friday, after consultation between the College, Union and the students involved.

UPDATE: After discussion between the union, students and college last week, the hall seniors concerned have been moved back to their original halls. There is no word yet on how the hall senior positions at Evelyn Gardens will be filled.