During the recent winter storm, Rust College students were left in unsafe and unacceptable living conditions. While severe weather was clearly predicted days in advance, the college failed to take proactive measures to protect its students. There are no adequate generators in place to sustain the dorms leaving students without heat and power in freezing temperatures.

Instead of advising students to return home while roads were still clear, students were kept on campus and forced to endure the storm with little preparation. Students living in the MI dorms remained in freezing conditions for hours before they were finally allowed to relocate to the main campus. Many students were shivering in their rooms, wearing coats indoors, and trying to sleep in the cold.

Even after relocation, some students were placed in rooms that still did not have working heat. We were moved from one unsafe situation into another.

Communication from the college has been painfully slow, unclear, and inconsistent. Students did not know where to go, what to expect, or how long the conditions would last. There appeared to be no emergency plan in place. We were left waiting in the cold, confused and scared, with no clear direction.

For many of us, Rust College is our home. Some students have no transportation to leave campus. Others had nowhere else to go. We trusted the institution to protect us when we enrolled and instead, we were left exposed to freezing temperatures with no reliable heat, no power, and no reassurance.

This is a failure of leadership and preparedness. This is a failure to prioritize student safety.

We are calling on Rust College alumni, Board of Trustees members, and community stakeholders to intervene immediately. We need your voices, your influence, and your leadership to demand accountability and real solutions.

We demand:

A full explanation of why students were not advised to leave campus before the storm.
Immediate and verified restoration of heat in ALL DORMS.
A transparent emergency preparedness plan for future severe weather.
Clear and timely communication protocols for student safety emergencies.
Accountability for the decisions that allowed students to remain in freezing conditions. Students should never be left to suffer in silence or in the cold.

We are asking our alumni and Board members to stand with us.
We are asking the administration to listen.
We are asking for change before someone gets seriously hurt.

No student should have to beg for warmth.
No student should feel abandoned by their own college.
No student should ever be placed in these conditions again.