While some students living at United College have been unhappy with the laundry facilities at the residence, the principal of the college says a solution is on the horizon. 

In November 2024, United College graduate student Cam Henry posted an online petition to address the issue of improperly functioning laundry machines in his residence.

Flyers with QR codes were put up on bulletin boards in the graduate building, aiming to bring awareness to the cause. 

“Many of the laundry machines on site do not function properly and create an unnecessary hazard for residents and our belongings,” the flyers read.

The petition has since gained 33 signatures from supporters, although traction has recently dissipated, with its last updates dating back to six months ago. While the campaign has lost visibility, there is evidence that issues persist with the laundry facilities at United College. 

“The biggest issue I have is just how busy it is, because there are two laundry facilities in the entire unit, and there’s like a couple hundred students who live here,” said James Leigh, an undergraduate student who lives in residence.

“I’ve actually started going over to my sibling’s place because they have their own laundry machine and… taking the half an hour to go to my sibling’s place and then… coming back is actually easier and also cheaper than just doing laundry in the building that I live in.”

Although some express concerns, students seemingly have varying outlooks on their experiences with laundry facilities at the college. Another undergraduate student, Rowan Sinclair, reflected positively on his experience with the facilities.

“Just last week, I did some laundry and everything works fine… there used to be the occasional issue with the dryers, but I think that’s kind of fixed now,” Sinclair said.

“So I would say for the laundry facilities, at least as far as I’m aware of, maybe that’s a little bit exaggerated, although it is the spring term so there’s a lot less people here.”

On June 3, Imprint reached out to United College for a response on the issue.

“We strive to offer an excellent on-campus living experience for our graduate students.  When learned of the problem earlier this year, we put money in the 2025-2026 budget to replace all of the units,” Richard Myers, principal of United College, wrote in an email. 

“On May 1, when we entered the new fiscal year, we ordered seven new washers and seven new dryers. They should be here in another ten days, from what I understand.”

Steve Prentice, who oversees residence operations at United College, also offered his perspective on the situation. He said the college has been proactive regarding maintenance issues, which are submitted through reporting systems to staff, but that they were not aware of the online petition to improve the facilities. 

Prentice wrote in an email that United College uses external contractors to repair and maintain the machines, and that the college switched to a new contractor last year as they were unhappy with the frequency of the maintenance. 

“The safety and satisfaction of our residents and tenants is always top of mind here at United College,” Prentice wrote. 

“Our maintenance staff work hard to address any issues as quickly as they can, though sometimes those issues take longer or are more complicated that we – and our students – would like. We have 24/7 on call staff to address any immediate issues that arise.”