To whom it may concern,

We, the students of DSI and DSII, would like to formally express our dissatisfaction regarding the pricing for residences at Brock. Paying $50.25 per night for DeCew, $57 per night for Quarry View with 5-person occupancy, or $71.25 per night with 4-person occupancy is untenable. Including tax, this amounts to between $1,362.78 and $1,932.30 for 24 days (July 1 - July 24), not including food, travel, and other costs. These fees are more expensive than those paid by Brock students staying from September to April ($1,217.5 per month for DeCew and $1220 per month for Quarry View) and far more expensive than the May to August rates ($400 per month for Quarry View).

While DeCew is cheaper, as mature students, the absence of private washrooms in this residence is a considerable barrier. Moreover, the lack of cooking facilities, coupled with the absence of an all-access meal plan, will lead to a higher food cost, as students will need to order takeaway or buy meals from the dining hall or catering services. The listed meal rate of $63 per day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on days the Dining Hall is open is significantly higher than the $27 per day for the All-You-Care-To-Eat meal plan offered to Brock students and exceeds the listed 2024/2025 door rate of $54.07 at the Fresh Food Company. Thus, it is blatantly unfair to charge us a higher rate for residence accommodations, especially considering we do not have access to the amenities typically available to students living on campus. Essentially, we are being asked to pay more for less.

This year’s fees also represent a large jump in costs over last year in Orillia. This makes budgeting exceedingly challenging as we did not expect to have to shoulder this increase in costs. Last year, the same stay was $30 per night; with tax, our total stay cost $813.60 for the same 24 days. This means that, compared to last summer, the pricing for residences at Brock represents a 67.5% to 137.5% increase, depending on the residence option selected. In querying other universities in the joint PhD program, we were informed that the short-term stay rate at the University of Windsor, $160 per week for a single room, is also considerably lower than the fees being requested at Brock.

More crucially, maintaining the current rates as cited is highly exclusionary, as it demonstrates a failure to consider students with extraneous circumstances (e.g., parents/caregivers, socioeconomic status, disability-related costs, etc.). The projected expenses are already causing undue stress and negatively impacting our mental well-being. Many participants in this course already juggle tight budgets for essential living expenses such as rent or mortgage, utility bills, childcare costs, and other obligations. For many, being away from home for 3.5 weeks also means a loss of income for those weeks. As such, the fees being asked for residence this year create unnecessary financial barriers and unequal access to this educational opportunity. This financial strain is not conducive to creating an effective, inclusive, and equitable learning environment for the summer sessions.

To ensure the upcoming seminars are accessible to a diverse group of participants, including those who are working parents or primary earners, we respectfully request a reconsideration of the current rates for residence in favour of a more affordable alternative.