While there had initially been plans to cancel all on-campus storage, a new policy will help simplify the student storage process.
Robert Wood, public safety director, said that the new policy was similar to the current official policy, but they “got away from (enforcing) that.”
The key change to the policy is that students will once again be required to use university-provided boxes to store belongings and the boxes will be organized within storage rooms.
Wood described the results of previously unenforced rules as “a mess.”
“You threw stuff in there,” he said. “Many storage rooms had items that couldn’t be identified or had been in there for four or five years.”
The question of cancelling storage came after two fraternities were broken into last summer, but concerns from international students led to creation of the new policy.
Under the new system, students will be allowed to keep boxes in storage rooms for up to one year, with some exceptions for students taking classes overseas.
Two types of boxes will be available this summer: large boxes, which will cost $10 and small boxes, which will cost $5. The boxes have already been distributed to their storage rooms and students have to pay for a packing label. The labels will help Public Safety know who owns the boxes and where they are stored.
The dorms with storage rooms include Hayes, Smith and Bashford Halls, according to Wood and Residential Life coordinator Jillian Auxter.
Residential Assistants will have access to the storage room and will help students retrieve their boxes at the beginning of next semester. In previous years, only Public Safety held this responsibility.
Additionally, the university will provide limited insurance on boxes if they are damaged. Up to $50 for small boxes and $100 for large ones, but no more than $500 total, according to an online copy of the new policy.
Carrie Miller, residential life coordinator for Hayes Hall and the SLUs, said several international students had already asked her about buying boxes.
OWU has made a deal with Delaware company LRE Properties/Two Sons, Inc. to offer pod storage to students at a discount rate.