Roughly 100 students, faculty, staff and alumnae rallied in the center of Meredith College’s campus Monday.
The group demanded better living conditions and better food quality. They also called for the college to reverse its decision to eliminate four dean positions.
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Meredith College spokesperson, Melyssa Allen, confirmed the position eliminations.
“As announced on November 6, Meredith College is making changes to its academic structure,” Allen wrote in an email. “These changes include returning to a department-head structure that was in place at Meredith for many decades.”
Allen said the move comes based on the structure at similar-sized institutions. She said students will have direct access to the school’s chief academic officer, which will improve transparency.
However, students chanted, “Justice for our deans!” while holding signs that read: “We NEED our deans.”
“They said we don’t need [deans] anymore … we do need them back,” student Alana Barber told WRAL News. “My Spanish teacher is one of them who got all the workload and isn’t being paid the dean money but is getting all the dean’s work on his desk.”
The deans’ job responsibilities have been shifted to teaching full-time for the next semester, according to Allen. However, she would not share whether that shift also means a pay cut for those affected.
"It is a common practice for academic administrators to be offered the opportunity to return to faculty positions when their administrative roles end," she wrote.
Allen also pointed to financial pressures.
“Budget reductions are a necessary, strategic step in helping the College grow and evolve,” Allen wrote.
In July, the college announced about 6% of its employees were laid off as part of a “budget balancing act.”
This school year, full-time tuition costs students $47,278. It will jump to $49,170 next school year. Food and housing will cost $552 more next school year, as well.
If budgetary changes had not been made, the College would have faced a $7 million deficit, according to Allen.
"At the direction of the Board of Trustees, Meredith College has made significant strides toward a balanced budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year."
Keke Vance is the freshman class president. She said she had dreamed of attending the college since she was a child.
“I was so excited. Now that I'm here, it's so frustrating, because it's not what I was told it would be,” Vance said.
She details dorms with mold, fleas and rats. To her, the living conditions are the top priority.
“We are required to live on campus,” Vance said. “I was [in the hospital] about five days, and they thought it might be because of mold poisoning.”
One sign read: “We demand sanitary housing.” Another sign read: “Maintenance is not optional.”
Multiple students also expressed concerns about the quality of the food served in dining halls. The college said its dining hall underwent extensive renovations over the summer.
“The space has been reimagined with a modern design and more stations with a wider variety of menu options,” Allen said. “State-of-the-art kitchen equipment has also been installed, which will mean an increase in the quality and freshness of the food served.”
She said the college takes student input seriously. She said the college hosts campus life forums for students to share their feedback.