As exam season intensified in December, Stauffer Library and other campus study spaces became increasingly congested, leaving many students struggling to find a place to work.
Students reported lining up before libraries opened and spending extended periods searching for available seating.
“Stauffer just gets overly crowded,” said Kevin Cao, Sci ’29, in an interview with The Journal. “You spend more time wandering around looking for a seat than actually studying.”
Cao added that the volume of students often exceeds what the space was designed to accommodate. “There’s times where it feels like there’s a thousand students in the building at once, and it’s just not designed for that many people,” he said.
Many rely on campus spaces as their primary study environment, especially during exams.
“For a lot of first-year students who live on campus, the libraries are some of their only real study spaces, so overcrowding makes it really hard,” said Haden Hastie, ArtSci ’29, in an interview with The Journal.
Hastie said the pressure to secure a seat adds stress to an already demanding period. “When you finally find a spot, it feels rushed because it feels like someone else is probably waiting for it,” he said.
The issue was recently raised at the Board of Trustees by Rector Niki Boytchuk-Hale, who serves as the student representative on the University’s highest governing body.
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Boytchuk-Hale said she observed conditions similar to those described by students and noted that lining up before a library opens was not something she has seen since being a student at Queen’s
“It’s important that students who are on-campus learners are able to access physical spaces during the day to be able to study and access the internet and resources,” she said.
Ahead of the December Board meeting, Boytchuk-Hale collected student feedback through notes left outside her office, many of which focused on the availability and quality of physical spaces on campus.
“Queen’s has grown in student population very steadily over decades,” she said. “We need to be mindful that we are keeping up with the physical spaces so that a student’s experience isn’t any less because of that.”
While long-term solutions such as constructing new buildings would take years to implement, Boytchuk-Hale said she’s exploring short-term alternatives to address capacity issues during peak exam periods. This includes identifying spaces that weren’t originally designed as study areas but could serve as temporary options.
“One of the biggest opportunities that I see is actually in Mitchell Hall,” she said, noting the possibility of setting up temporary tables during the busiest weeks of the semester.
Boytchuk-Hale emphasized that meaningful change requires continued communication from students. She encouraged students to share their experiences. “Stories are important, and experiences are important, and so is data,” she said. “Those types of details catch the attention of the administration and the Board.”
She added that students can reach out directly to her office, as well as the Provost’s Office, Principal’s Office, or the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs, and are encouraged to copy her on correspondence to ensure student concerns are reflected in governance discussions.
Boytchuk-Hale also brings awareness to study space issues on Instagram and encourages students to fill out a feedback form.
For students like Hastie, increased access to study spaces would significantly ease exam-related stress.
“It’s frustrating when you plan your day around studying, and then you realize there’s nowhere to sit once you get there,” he said. “Having more accessible study spaces across campus would make a huge difference during exam season.”
Tags
Rector, Study, study space, Study spaces
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