UMass-Boston’s dorms grappling with a lot of problems

Residents of the first-ever dorms at the University of Massachusetts-Boston in Dorchester’s Columbia Point have complained of a host of problems at the towers, some dangerous and others less than ideal.

Recall that the two buildings holding 1,077 units total opened in early September and marked a milestone for the school that most students commute to and from—and capped years of planning as well.

Now, barely two months after that opening, some students have already moved out, preferring the commute to dorm life at UMass-Boston. Why? Per the Globe’s Laura Krantz: “[D]orm elevators abruptly fell several floors with students inside. Water shot out of one toilet when you flushed another, students reported. The rooms are often stifling hot, but the showers are frigid. The hamburgers in the dining hall are sometimes raw.”

Then there are what students say are really thin walls, which preclude using tacks and nails to hang posters, pictures, et al; and security for the towers is reportedly pretty lax as is the housekeeping.

The university has vowed to review the situation—though apparently officials initially ignored students’ complaints—and to fix what can be fixed. Stay tuned.

At UMass-Boston, dorms not yet a home away from home [Globe]