As Wheaton Alumni, this is truly a concerning development which will undoubtedly have long term effects on how students interact at our alma mater. As alumni from a small campus, we agree that one of the things that brought us together as a community of learners was the close proximity in which we lived together, learning inside and outside the classroom, regardless of what we could pay. We believe the future development of these life long relationships, critical learning skills and a future of respectful discourse celebrating difference and tolerance should not be determined by the quality of the room you can afford, with privilege affording more. This policy at its basest level is discriminatory and cannot be tolerated.
By signing this petition:
We are stating our demand that Wheaton College not support discrimination by placing involuntary "premium costs" on certain types of student housing.We demand that the long standing community spirit of Wheaton College not be violated by separating students into the "haves" and "have nots" in terms of where they can live and what they are able to pay for it.
We demand that the administration propose alternative solutions to this policy and be fully transparent with the student, faculty, and alumni community concerning the issues that they face in meeting economic realities facing resident life.
We state that failure to follow these demands will adversely affect our ability to support Wheaton College as alumni financially going forward.
We state that signing this petition is reflective of an opinion that is from the signer and the signer alone and not representative of any company, organization, or institution any individual is affiliated with in past, present, or future.
We state the choice to sign this petition is made freely with due consideration from each individual. However, in signing this petition we invoke the words of Edmund Burke, “that all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men (and women) do nothing.” We believe that this is change in policy is wrong and that deeper conversations should be had in order to prevent this policy from being enacted in true Wheaton fashion through dynamic discourse and discussion.