Centreville Hall bathroom has added private changing areas in front of showers.
With communal bathrooms in many dorms, RHA representatives are looking to improve privacy options with makeshift changing areas.
“It’s inconvenient to take a shower and have to walk back to my room in just a towel,” said freshman psychology major Erika Hinkle, who lives in Cumberland Hall.
The community showers are separated by curtains, and there is no space available for changing privately, she said. The Residence Hall Association’s Resident Life Advisory Board chairwoman Sasha Galbreath said her committee would be discussing ideas for increasing the number of private spaces in dorm bathrooms to make residents feel more comfortable.
Department of Resident Life Director Deb Grandner said discussions regarding bathroom privacy options in dorms were ongoing, and any final decisions will depend on student demand and the department’s ability to finance such plans.
The traditional community bathrooms in Prince Frederick Hall feature changing stalls in showering areas to allow for students’ privacy. Some dorms are equipped with similar stalls, but many older ones, such as Carroll and Cumberland halls, are not.
Hinkle said she doesn’t mind changing in her room, but can understand how some people would feel more comfortable with a designated changing area. She said putting makeshift changing rooms in bathrooms could be beneficial to students who desire a more private environment.
“[Renovation] plans cater to the needs of students who may be uncomfortable changing in front of people,” said Galbreath. “But depending on the hall, that could be 10 years from now.”
Resident Life currently plans to update one older dorm per year, starting with Cambridge Hall, which will close for renovations starting this summer, and ending with Centreville Hall, which is scheduled to be renovated starting in summer 2026.
As these older dorms are renovated over the next several years, more modern bathrooms, resembling those of the new Prince Frederick Hall, will be installed, which include updated shower and toilet fixtures as well as greater privacy features, said Residential Facilities Director Jon Dooley.
Zach Hannan, a freshman biology major, lives in Centreville Hall and said while his dorm has bathrooms with privacy stalls attached to the showers, he has used bathrooms in other halls and can understand the issue.
“[The stalls] are useful and give you room to dry off or change,” he said. “Compared to other dorms, it’s much better than having like just a curtain separating you in the shower. It’s much more private.”
Hannan said the idea could make students feel less worried about embarrassment while making the dorms’ living spaces more equal.
Galbreath said there should be a plan for increasing privacy in the time between scheduled renovations. This issue will be a priority for her committee this semester because she said she wants to respond to resident concerns.
She said this plan could also allow Resident Life to better serve the LGBT community, namely transgender students living in dorms who might not feel as secure changing in an open space in bathrooms.
“We want to make sure that everyone feels comfortable in their homes,” Galbreath said.
