A bulletin board outside MU’s Residential Life office encouraging students to apply to become a RA. MADDIE ROSADO / THE QUADRANGLE
Maddie Rosado Managing / News Editor
As Manhattan University’s (MU) Residence Life enforces new safety regulations for the 2025–2026 academic year, students and Resident Assistants (RAs) say the changes have resulted in inconsistent enforcement, unpredictable room checks and growing concerns about fairness.
MU’s Residence Life annually updates its housing regulations. These policies are typically finalized and communicated weeks before the start of each fall semester. As a result, due to the drastic changes made in contrast to previous academic years, students may unknowingly purchase and move in prohibited items over summer break without realizing they are banned.
According to Manhattan University’s website, “all non-college issued furniture” such as personal furniture is prohibited in the dorms, and decorative material such as posters “shall not exceed 20% of the total area of the walls.” While Residence Life says the changes are intended to address safety concerns, the updates have prompted ongoing discussion and concern among students and RAs.
A current RA at MU, who requested anonymity due to concerns about retaliation, spoke with The Quadrangle about their experience with the new policies.
“[Residence Life’s] reasoning for new rules was to address safety concerns,” the RA said. “Unfortunately [to prevent potential safety issues], we have to take some items away from our residents.”
Ronnie Genee, director of Residence Life, commented on the matter, sharing that enforcement of this policy would remain flexible, provided the item is eventually removed from campus.
“Students have in theory 72 hours to retrieve their item so they can take it home, ship it or remove it from campus,” Genee wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “We are very flexible with this time frame and work with students who request more time before they can make shipping or travel arrangements.”
Genee went on to emphasize Residence Life’s commitment to student safety and policy compliance.
“We remain committed to balancing student comfort with safety and compliance, and we appreciate opportunities to clarify the purpose and process behind these policies,” Genee wrote in an email to The Quadrangle.
While Residential Life claims that health and safety remain a priority, room check procedures have changed significantly.
“Now it’s not just us going to do the room checks, it’s our boss [Genee] going in the rooms too,” the RA said. “We just sit there, stand there with a notepad or write stuff down.”
Another RA, also granted anonymity for similar reasons, said that enforcement during room checks remains inconsistent.
“Violations during a room check can go 50/50,” the RA said. “Some lamps and stuff like that, they’ll just pass by and not look at it.”
RAs have also raised concerns about how room checks are conducted, saying that some residents may be unfairly targeted.
“Before we went into a room, he would ask, ‘What do you think about this guy?’,” the RA said. “It feels like a lot of profiling.”
Although The Quadrangle contacted Genee for comment on this statement, no response had been received at the time of publication.
Cassidy Weiss, a junior psychology major and current MU resident, shared her experience with The Quadrangle regarding the updated room check procedures and housing rules.
“I feel like having your own furniture is important,” Weiss said. “It makes your room feel more like home here. These new rules kind of make it feel like a prison.”
Weiss did not encounter any issues during her room check, which Genee was present for, but says the new Residence Life policies have created a restrictive living environment.
“I would never blame anything on my RA because she’s just doing her job,” Weiss said. “But I think they’ve gone way too far with the rules.”
In contrast to Weiss’ account, RAs have described experiences that paint a starkly different picture.
“He [Genee] ripped things [wall decor] off the wall,” the RA said. “He ripped paint off the wall… Said ‘That’s a fine.’ And then packed up and walked out.”
Once again, Genee did not respond to The Quadrangle’s request for comment by the time of publication.