Concerns over mold in some of the dorms at Kent State have students feeling uneasy and sending in complaints, and some students say, they're moving out because it's so bad. 

The Eastway Complex is made up of four residence halls with close to 1,000 students living in it's quarters. Just recently students have raised concerns about living conditions particular mold in the buildings HVAC systems. One student reached out to 21 News after her friend discovered she'd been living in it.

"She took a picture of it and it was just covered---It looked like somebody left a whole bunch of dust, but it obviously wasn't dust", Kayla Gray said, a junior at Kent State. "It was kind of clumped up like only mold really can.", she added.

Another student said she moved of the Eastway Complex after what she calls a brutal nine-month stay.

"I was never sick in high school, then when I got here I had the AC on all the time and I got sick almost every single day.", Rachael Guthrie explained.

I reached out to University and housing officials who declined to go on camera but issued this statement:

"The following information is for our students living in Eastway Complex: Allyn, Clark, Fletcher and
Manchester Halls.
 
We want the Eastway community to know that we are aware of some mold and mildew concerns in these
buildings. The issues are mostly found to be dust and dirt on the louvers of the heating and cooling units. In
less than 5% of the cases, the louver had mildew or mold caused by high humidity in the room.
 
In a few situations, there was evidence of mold or mildew growth. In the situations where the mold growth
was minor, the diffusers and/or HVAC system, was cleaned. In two cases where the growth was more
substantial, the students were offered the chance to relocate so we could do a more thorough cleaning of
the room.
 
Please know that each report for mold or mildew is taken seriously. Kent State University
follows EPA recommendations for responding to concerns of mold or mildew. As
appropriate, each situation has received attention by staff members in University Facilities
Management (UFM), Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), and University Housing.
 
Of note: each residence hall room is ventilated independently. We highlight this to assure you there is not a
building wide issue.
 
Short term strategy:
We asked UFM to proactively inspect the HVAC unit in every residence hall room in Eastway (Allyn, Clark,
Fletcher, and Manchester Halls).
 
The room inspections will begin on Monday, September 26, 2022. UFM staff will start on the first floor of
each of these residence halls. Inspections will occur between 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. each day until all rooms
are complete. We will know more about the specific schedule at the end of the day on Monday.
 
When UFM staff arrives to your room, they will knock three (3) times and verbally announce who they are
before they enter. If you do not want your room inspected, you must submit your request
at https://forms.gle/QWXrX1oNZ3DfUsgw8 no later than 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 25.
 
Upon entering, UFM staff will do a visual inspection of the room, wipe down the louver, and take any other
corrective action necessary based on their review. When they complete the inspection, a notice will be left
on your room door.
 
Long term strategy:
We are in the process of hiring an engineering firm to look at this issue and provide recommendations for
long term solutions to the humidity issues.
 
We appreciate your patience as we ensure each room is safe."