Half of the Exeter students who are currently living in Jury’s Inn are being forced to move in and out of the hotel up to three times before the end of term, owing to unavailability of rooms.
40 students will have to stay in alternative accommodation on six occasions before the end of Michaelmas term due to prior bookings at Jury’s Inn Hotel in Wolvercote.
The provisional check out date of October 31 for the 86 students, including finalists, had been further delayed until 3rd December, as their planned college accommodation in Cohen Quad remains incomplete.
Exeter College has arranged bed and breakfast accommodation for students on November 10, 12, 19, 20, 25 and 26 November.
Alternative accommodation is being provided at Cotswold Lodge Hotel and Linton Lodge Hotel in Summertown, as well as the Travelodge Abingdon Road and Holiday Inn in Wolvercote. The college has found 25 rooms owned by Lincoln, Keble and Worcester.
The Keble Accommodation is located near Headington, whilst the Worcester and Lincoln accommodation is near Cohen Quad. There are also 15 rooms in college from which no one has to move. The College is compiling a priority list to put into a ballot for the no move hotel rooms and the 25 alternative college rooms.
Priority will be given to students with health issues, then those with English coursework this term, followed by Earth Sciences and History coursework over the holidays, international students and finally all other students.
Students will be moved in groups according to the areas of Jury’s Inn they are currently staying in, in an effort to minimise disruption.
Exeter College has said each student will be contacted individually with the dates they would have to move out, stating it would be unlikely that anyone would have to move more than three times.
A spokesperson for Exeter College told Cherwell, “Having informed our students that they would be unable to move into Cohen Quad during this term, we have been working with Jury’s Inn to secure the students’ accommodation there until the beginning of December. The hotel team have been as helpful as possible but are unable to accommodate all students continuously over the next four weeks due to other group bookings which they had previously agreed.
“Consequently, we have had to make some alternative accommodation arrangements including moving some of our students into other colleges for the duration of term, and moving a small number of students, still at Jury’s Inn, into alternative hotels for two weekends this month. Student welfare remains our highest priority in providing alternative suitable accommodation and all assistance will be given to provide physical and emotional and academic support over the remaining weeks of term.”
JCR President Harry Williams commented, “I am disappointed that, yet again, our accommodation is not ready, which ultimately creates further disruption for students throughout the rest of term. The college are working hard however to find solutions to minimise the disruption and particular thought is going to those with imminent coursework deadlines.”
Finalist Alex Doody, also living at Jury’s Inn, said, “I, like many fellow Exonians in this situation, cannot say I am pleased with this development. I understand that the hotel has to cater to other guests, but I think we have endured more than enough disruption and I will be overjoyed when Cohen Quad finally opens and we don’t have to put up with this inconvenience.”
Exeter College is providing transport to the hotels and has organised storage space at Jury’s Inn for students’ personal belongings.
Exeter College is covering all accommodation costs until students take up occupancy at Cohen Quad and students have received free breakfasts, as well as bus passes to travel into central Oxford.
