St. Joe’s plan to vacate Wilson Student Center and Joseph W. England Library on the University City campus by the end of the 2024-25 academic year has brought the need for better communication and transparency to the attention of the student population. We recognize the hurt that students on the UCity campus — who were not previously aware of the decision — are experiencing.

Students were notified of this information for the first time via email Jan. 17, over a month after faculty and staff were notified of the university’s plan via email Dec. 7, 2023. This delay in notification has left students wondering why they were not a top priority for this announcement, especially when it primarily impacts student access to dining, common spaces and educational resources.

We also affirm the reactions of students who feel the university has been withholding important information from them, which could impact their lives as college students and force them to entirely readjust their situations.

In vacating these prominent buildings and failing to communicate these changes straightforwardly to students, the university has made many UCity students feel even more isolated from the Hawk Hill community. While we support St. Joe’s efforts to merge the two campuses, close the divide and improve the university’s financial position, those efforts should not come at the cost of students’ trust.

Further updates to anything pertaining to the UCity campus should be communicated to students as timely and clearly as possible, as it is the university’s responsibility to do so. Students deserve openness and transparency from the community that serves them, especially when it could impact the future of their academic careers.