I thought I would share a timeline of our son’s move-in today at @EasternMichU. He was moving early for band camp. Even though no football, marching band was still having their camp.

7:00 am - leave Columbus OH for the three hour drive.

9:00 am - stop for gas. Son (in separate car) tells us he got a message saying move-in for students is pushed to mid-September, all classes start virtually Aug 31, but Band Camp still on. We proceed to Ypsilanti.

10:20 am - arrive @EasternMichU in Ypsilanti. Find his dorm and meet several parents / students standing around outside, looking for answers. Do we move on or do we go home?

10:45 am - confirm move-in is a go. All moving carts are taken so we haul by hand. To the 3rd floor.

11:45 am - he is all moved in and unpacked! Bunk is chosen. Photos are taken. We are hungry.

12:00 pm - go to @cornerbrewery for lunch (yum!)

12:10 pm - son gets a text that the band check-in (from 1-5 pm today) has been canceled. Band camp still on tho. “More info to come”

1:25 pm - on the way back from lunch, stop at Target to pick up forgotten soap and toothpaste. Son gets a message.

1:40 pm - son gets a message that band camp is canceled.

2:02 pm - arrive back to @EasternMichU campus to find out all housing staff left at 2 pm.

2:02 pm cont - utter confusion amongst parents and students. No one around to answer questions. Some parents packing their kids back up to go home.

2:30 pm - husband makes several calls to dining services (dining halls closed, food plan doesn’t start till next week)

3:15 pm - walked around campus, back to the dorm to find a housing staff there with no answers - because she wasn’t given anything other than the emails the students received. Told he can stay or leave but if he stays and has to go home later, time spent in dorm is nonrefundable

3:15 pm cont - oh... and there IS a place for food, but limited hours and the dining plan isn’t activated till next week when classes start so he’ll “have to use his flex dollars” (only $100 per semester). Housing staff says he can stay but they don’t have any other info to share

3:30 pm - son elects to stay rather than pack up car (likely a three hour process) and return home (3 hour drive). We tel son to “save all receipts” because we will make sure he gets reimbursed for any out of pocket expenses. Give him hugs and depart for Columbus.

I do not understand how James Smith runs his college, but from this limited viewpoint, it is very mismanaged. Housing staff said they learned of the pushed move-in date last night at 9 pm.

Many questions:

WHY was this decision made at the last minute?

WHY were band campers told multiple different stories in the matter of a few hours?

WHY were housing staff not on site to deal with the students stress? WHY were they not adequately prepared with answers?

WHY don’t dining centers answers for who is paying for my sons meals?

HOW are you going to ensure my son has access to food? You told him to come to campus. You told him band camp was still on. His adequate housing and food is on you. It should not be on him.

WHY DID YOU WAIT SO LONG TO MAKE A DECISION AND COMMUNICATE TO STUDENTS?

You knew there were a limited number of students arriving for camp. WHY didn’t you call them and their parents directly?

I don’t expect this tweet to get any notice - especially since I can’t find any EMU administrative staff on Twitter. But, it makes me feel better that I’ve documented it for posterity. I may need to revisit this in case school shuts down and we’re charged for the mismanagement