Hundreds of Clark Atlanta Students Displaced From Dorms, President Responds

Hundreds of Clark Atlanta University students arrived on campus to find their dorms still under construction. The university’s president, George French Jr., responded to the incident Sunday.

“Move-in week is a special time for students and their families at any university and it is our responsibility here at Clark Atlanta University to ensure we are ready to receive our scholars during that time. It is also our job to ensure our scholars and parents have an enjoyable experience and are excited to begin and continue their academic journey,” French Jr. said in a statement.

Although 80% of student dorms were prepared for freshman and upper-class students on move-in day, 20% of students who’d been assigned to dorms weren’t able to move in due to delayed renovations, according to the Atlanta-based historically Black university.

Around 460 of the 2,150 resident students were impacted, French Jr. explained.

According to the president, several actions have been taken to resolve the issue.

Students who were impacted will receive a 50% discount for the current semester’s room fee while crews work to finish dorm renovations.
Off-campus housing, hotel accommodations, and parking have been arranged for the students and their families within 15 minutes of the campus until the dorms are ready.
University staff have been placed at alternative housing locations to assist the families.
To get students back and forth to campus for activities and meals, the university has paid for parking and shuttle services, in addition to the housing accommodations.

“Again, we cannot apologize enough for this unfortunate incident,” French Jr. stated. “Please know that we remain diligent in addressing the issues that caused this challenge. Given my understanding that the university experienced a similar housing incident some years ago, my team is engaging both formative and summative assessment approaches and revamping key processes to ensure this type of issue will not occur again. To be clear, I insist that CAU continue to establish a campus culture of excellence, accountability, and service. Thank you for your consideration and prayerful continued support of Clark Atlanta University.”

Read the university’s full statement here.