For the first time in Fordham Lincoln Center’s history, certain suites in McKeon Hall have four residents sharing a single bedroom. Thirty-eight converted living spaces were added to both McKeon and McMahon Hall. 

“Students have been positive for the most part,” said Senior Director of Residential Life Jenifer Campbell. “We tried to notify residents of their housing options as soon as we could, based on receipt of cancellations and ongoing assignments.”

The concept of a “forced quad” — four beds fit into a triple — was introduced in McKeon for the 2019-2020 school year. In a forced quad room, two sets of bunk beds are placed in a traditional three-person living space. 

According to Campbell, placement in a quadruple is accompanied by an adjusted room fee, which costs $4,875 per semester in comparison with the standard McKeon fee of $6,705.

In McMahon, standard double fees were lowered from $8,507.50 to $6,087.50 when made into a triple. Additionally, some single rooms were converted to doubles, dropping the price from $9,947.50 to $6,587.50. 

Eliza Pagel, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’23, was not expecting to be placed in a quadruple. 

“It’s not great, but we’re alright,” said Pagel. “It’s the same as any roommate dynamic, so we are fortunate that we like each other. We honestly think the whole situation is funny at this point.” 

Pagel added that she and her roommates were disappointed to learn that their quad was originally a smaller triple in McKeon.

Campbell predicts this is not simply a temporary fix: “We are prepared to communicate to students who will tour during the upcoming admissions cycle that triples in McMahon and quads in McKeon are a definite possibility for the future.”

Redistribution is expected during the spring semester, which would lead to the potential de-quading of rooms and reconfiguration of costs. Last academic year, the Office of Residential Life faced similar issues with the semester overturn, leaving students who had been placed in triples and their families confused by unexplained price changes. 

“Every year we try to improve services and are committed to implementing suggestions from our constituents in order to make their residential living experience more enjoyable,” said Campbell.