October 10, 2007

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing this appeal letter in disagreement with the dorm agreement that I signed in April of 2007.  After rereading the agreement, I do see that it states that this “is a binding contract for housing and food service for the complete academic year – both fall and spring semesters.”  However, I do not agree with this, and it wasn’t until after I had signed it that I realized the agreement had been changed.  This agreement is not a lease for an apartment, nor would a reimbursement check be required to be written, since I pay semester by semester.  As a junior, and having resided here both my freshman and sophomore years, when handed the agreement (not being warned that there were changes), I skimmed the material, saw that the meal plan, room charges, rules and damage policy were explained, and signed my name.  Not only would I have not been allowed to move in had I not signed the agreement, but no one had explained that there were changes made to the agreement. 

Since I was a freshman in high school, my dream college had always been the University of Pittsburgh.  Throughout my college search, I researched Carlow and applied.  Knowing that no matter what, I was going to choose Pitt, I narrowed my choices down to Carlow and Pitt.  I visited both schools, and was impressed by both.  However, when I stepped foot onto Carlow’s campus, I felt welcome – and felt as if I mattered.  I fell in love with the atmosphere of Carlow, the student to teacher ratio, the small class size, and felt as if my decisions would be taken into consideration all throughout my academic career.  However, with this situation, I feel as if at Carlow, I don’t matter, and that my needs and happiness with the University are not taken into consideration. 

I am not happy with my residence in the dorms.  I am miserable and it is starting to affect my schoolwork.  The food does not appeal to me, and what does, makes me ill – which causes me to pay more money than I already do to live here, and I do not feel that I should have to pay for something that, for one, I do not want, and secondly, makes me unhappy.  As a freshman, moving into the dorms was one step closer to becoming responsible, moving away from my parents, and being able to manage my time wisely.  As a sophomore, and after already residing in the dorms for a year, there were more aspects to my life that I had to manage – I had a job, I had made friends freshman year, and my school work load was tougher.  Throughout all this time, my number one priority, and what is still my number one priority is my academic career and the responsibility of being able to pay for my college career. 

In order for me to pay for schooling I have taken out loans, in addition to the grants and scholarships I receive from the school.  While in school, I work on the weekends and make payments on my loans.  However, in order to make a sufficient difference in the amount I’m going to have to pay when I get out of school, I need to be available to work more than just weekend hours. 

I feel as if all the reasons listed above are valid reasons for me to resign from the dorms.  In addition, the Carlow Mission statement reads: 

“The Mission of Carlow University, a Catholic liberal arts university, is to involve persons, primarily women, in a process of self-directed, lifelong learning which will free them to think clearly and creatively, to discover and to challenge or affirm cultural and aesthetic values, to respond reverently and sensitively to God and others, and to render competent and compassionate service in personal and professional life.”

It is unfortunate for me to say that I do not feel that not allowing me to move out of the dorms, which I have not yet paid for Spring Semester, is allowing me to continue with my “lifelong learning.”  Being contained in a dorm room does not allow my opportunity for growth in my studies, and does not allow me to think clearly because there is so much distraction.  This is yet another reason that moving off campus would be beneficial to me.  The dorms are noisy and there are constantly people running up and down the hallways.  I realize that there is no way that I can stop the distraction in the dorms, yet I can remove myself from the situation, which I am choosing to do, so that my grades do not suffer.  If Carlow’s mission is to make an experienced and compassionate service in my personal and professional life, then I should be allowed to remove myself from the dormitory building – in order for me to grow personally and professionally, I need to give myself that opportunity, and I feel that staying in the dorms is reducing that chance.  It would be very unfortunate if I would have to withdraw from the University on these accounts.

how sad is it that it has come to this?!