Alexis Myhre

There are many policies put in place by the University of Minnesota Rochester to help ensure that the quality of on campus living meets the needs of the students. We were interested in describing the University of Minnesota Rochester’s student experience when it comes to creating and navigating the beginning of the year roommate agreement. Each group member conducted a unique fifteen to twenty minute photovoice interview experience with another student participant in PUBH 3531: Health Policy & Systems at the University of Minnesota Rochester. We found that each student had their own story to tell, different perspectives, and different levels of awareness about the campus living policies. When the group members came together to share information, however, we did find some unique themes that came up throughout our interview processes which include emotional fluctuation, COVID-19 effects, reflection, and current situations. Our findings suggest that not all the policies currently in place are the most beneficial to students living on campus and may need to be revised to best fit the needs of the students. Student researchers of PUBH 3531 recommend a student-informed policy review of the roommate agreement and further study on this topic.