ATLANTA — Clark Atlanta University's President George French Jr. responded Sunday after a group of incoming freshman showed up last week to learn their dorm rooms are still under construction.
"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.
According to CAU, 80% of students' dorms were ready for freshmen and upper-class students on move-in day but 20% of students who were assigned to dorms were unable to move in due to renovations being behind schedule.
This impacted approximately 464 of 2,150 resident students, French Jr. said.
"My team recently failed to make the parent and student experience enjoyable. It is indefensible," French Jr. said. "As the 'Buck stops' with me, I prefer to acknowledge this dereliction and ask your forgiveness rather than making excuses."
The following measures have been taken to correct the problems that occurred, according to the university's president:
- Students who were unable to move in will receive a 50% discount for the current semester's room fee.
- Constructions crews are working to around the clock to finish the dorm renovations.
- Off-campus housing and hotel accommodations for students and their families have been arranged within 15 minutes of the university's campus until the dorms are ready. Parking is also included.
- CAU staff is being housed at alternative housing locations in order to assist families.
- The university has paid for rooms, parking and shuttle services to transport students to and from campus for their activities and meals.
"Again, we cannot apologize enough for this unfortunate incident. 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."
You can read the university's full statement below.