Many Goodyear residents were unhappy to discover Facilities Management had placed lock boxes over the thermostats inside their rooms without their knowledge. 

“One afternoon I got back from class and suddenly, there it was protruding from the wall,” Will Chandler ’19 said over email. Set at 74 degrees, the thermostats are now inaccessible and the temperature within each individual apartment unchangeable. Chandler did not know why the box had been placed in his apartment and expressed frustration at the inability to control the temperature in his residence.  

 “The reason is twofold 1) to help control moisture issues during this unusually hot and humid summer and 2) this action has a favorable impact towards the achievement of the College’s student driven ‘2020 climatic action plan’” Kristen Kostecky, associate vice president for Campus Operations, explained in an email.

While there is no current plan to unlock the thermostats for the use of individual homes, students who find their apartments uncomfortable are encouraged to submit a work order. “Many students have done this and the settings have been adjusted accordingly,” Kostecky said.

The shift in control follows the college’s Residential Living Guidelines and Policies. As stated under the policy’s section regarding air conditioning: “The College’s temperature policy calls for an occupied target temperature of 68 degrees +/- 2 degrees for the heating season and an occupied target of 74 degrees +/- 2 degrees in the cooling season.”

Kostecky said the placement of boxes happened over the summer. However, residents of Goodyear claimed the boxes began appearing the week of Sept. 16. Dickinson has been monitoring the temperature not only in Goodyear, but also in houses, apartments, the new High Street dorm and dorms in the upper and lower Quads, with lock boxes and passwords on central air conditioning systems.  

Many residents said the inability to control the temperature within their homes was bothersome, but agreed the real problem was a lack of communication on the part of the college. 

“If they are making a change in your apartment they should let you know. I don’t think they should have to ask your permission. It’s Dickinson housing, but it’s nice to know when someone is coming in and changing something in your home.” Kara Schwartz ’19 said.

Pelumi Onabanjo ’19 said he was disappointed that for the first weeks of the school year he had control over the temperature of his residence and then that ability had been taken away. 

Chandler found the way the college handled the changes “enraging,” saying if Dickinson had given a reason for the placement of the boxes, students would have been more understanding. 

According to Facilities Management, it is Residence Life and Housing office who would typically communicate changes of this nature to students.