Failure to adhere to community standards causes potential restructuring of residences
February 10, 2026 3:23 PM
Following the distribution of room assignments for the upcoming academic year, StFX students had many questions concerning the fate of Cameron Hall and MacKinnon Hall. The Xaverian sat down with Director of Residence Services Noreen Nunn, last Friday morning to discuss this, and what factors were involved in the residence office’s decisions.
“We’ve been talking to Cameron and MacKinnon Halls about the student culture in those houses which we felt wasn’t meeting the community standards,” explains Nunn. “We’ve been discussing this with those residences for a few years, and attempting to make changes to that.”
Cameron and MacKinnon Halls have been in the spotlight several times over the past few years, due to their strong rivalries and certain practices, allegedly having roots in tradition.
Many discussions occurred last year concerning what could be done to change the culture of these residences, and whether the current structure contributes to unacceptable behaviour.
“The students last year were very upset because they didn’t want to see the houses change. So over the course of the summer, we met with the students’ union and the house leaders and we came up with what we thought was a solution,” says Nunn. “We worked out a contract we set up some parameters for that we thought would help us and assist us in changing that culture.”
“We also set up a committee so the house leaders could get together to talk about their progress. And I have to say that a lot of progress was made with some of the houses.”
The residence office has been monitoring the progress in these residences very carefully, and had originally planned to make the students aware of any restructuring prior to the distribution of room assignments.
However, following the break between semesters, more concerns arose surrounding behaviour in these residences during the first weekend back and over the course of the house hockey cups.
“We had a choice to make, but we didn’t want to restructure yet, because there was some progress made,” explained Nunn. “But we did have to tell them that it wasn’t enough for us to keep [the residences] the way they are.”
“And if I had reassigned them, and then changed the houses in May, everyone would be stuck and wouldn’t have a choice to make. So we thought, if we give them another assignment on campus, at least they know they have a place to live.”
Students who requested to live in Cameron and MacKinnon Halls have been placed in alternate residences, including Lane Hall, MacIsaac Hall and Mount Saint Bernard.
As of right now, students are free to accept their current assignments if they wish to keep a room on campus. They can also decline their assignments and seek alternate housing off campus, and the residence office feels there is ample time to do so.
There are several changes that could be made to Cameron and MacKinnon Halls, including restricting them to first year students only, making them co-ed by floor, or females in one and males in the other, but Nunn has made it very clear that a decision has yet to be made, and that it has the potential to be any of the residence styles that already exist on campus.
This decision will be made by May 1, and the residence office hopes that whatever occurs will positively affect the student culture in each residence.
“[Restructuring] is something that has worked in the past, so obviously we expect and hope that it will [work],” says Nunn. “I can’t predict the future, but what we have now isn’t working.” Another issue that has come under fire by students is the increase in the residence forfeiture fee to $400. In previous years, there was an incremental increase over the summer, beginning with $100 in June. This year, if a student wishes to decline their room assignment after May 1, the $400 forfeiture fee will be due.
This change, according to Nunn, has been implemented to make students understand that their commitment to a room assignment is important.
“Students were using the fact that the forfeiture fee was so low as a place card holder,” explains Nunn. “So we have a number of students who are waiting for rooms, and then when we go to them and tell them we have a place for them, it’s too late. We really believe that for the good of all students, a student accepting a room should make sure it is what they want.”
As for students not receiving room assignments based on the fact that they are on residence probation, the residence office feels that they should understand that the office reserves the right to decline requests based on an inability to abide by community standards.
“If you are placed on residence probation, it is generally because there has been a very serious incident or a series of incidents demonstrating that you are not understanding the standards that you have agreed to live by,” says Nunn. “My thought is that you should understand that residence probation means that your standing in residence is impacted.”
In addition to those students currently on residence probation, students involved in the judicial process have also had their room requests denied. According to Nunn, those students who are able to demonstrate that they understand community standards will be given rooms, and this has already occurred for several students.
As for questions surrounding the direction of students to Corinna Fitzgerald, the director of student life, Nunn explains that it is not her jurisdiction to discuss a student’s standing in the judicial system.
“If you want to discuss getting off residence probation, you have to talk to [Fitzgerald],” says Nunn. “I can’t change your status… I wasn’t trying to deflect people from here, I just can’t discuss that.”
Miscommunication between the administration and the students’ union has been a common theme as of late, but Nunn feels that the residence office effectively communicated their plans with students.
“Our agreement was that if we were going to change the structure of the houses, we would let [the students’ union] know, but that wasn’t the decision that we came to,” explains Nunn. “The residence staff are there to communicate with the residents in the building, and they received an email three or four hours before [room assignments] went out.”
In response to the Xaverian Weekly’s question about whether Cameron Hall and MacKinnon Hall will be continuously evaluated until a potential restructuring decision is made, Nunn responded, “absolutely.”
