Lund University: “Failure on our part”

The Umashree Pancholy case is not a unique one. LU Accommodation tries to solve similar problems on-site in the corridors. But if the problems remain, the option to move is on the victim.

When Lundagård asks LU Accommodation for all 2013 documents on harassment and discrimination, the e-mail reply is far from easily grasped.

“As far as I’m concerned, we have no records from 2013 on cases involving discrimination or harassment.” When Lundagård instead requests all 2013 documented complaints, LU Accommodation realizes that the material is so extensive that it will be a time-consuming process trying to extract it. Instead, they make a phone call, asking what kind of case Lundagård is looking for.

It turns out Umashree Pancholy’s predicament is not unique. According to the LU Accommodation Head of Department, Sara van Lunteren, they get about ten of these cases every year. When Lundagård, however, asks for access to the documents from these cases, problems arise once again.

“We rather not make this material accessible, since it contains sensitive details for the ones affected,” she says.

Instead, Sara van Lunteren starts explaining what LU Accommodation does to ensure that their tenants find themselves in a climate that suits them from the beginning.

“If there is any particular preference, the student can always make an entry in the application. It’s not unusual that we get a sufficient amount of students preferring peaceful corridors so that their preference can be met. There’s no guarantee, but we do what we can,” she says.

If a problem similar to the one of Umashree Pancholy’s were to arise, however, LU Accommodation will first try to arrange an on-site solution in the corridor at hand.

“We have hired someone new to deal with situations, such as monitoring the housing units and corresponding with the tenants. We want to prevent these things from happening,” says Sara van Lunteren.

Victims are the ones to move

According to Umashree Pancholy, all LU Accommodation measures were taken by e-mail, in which the other tenants were asked to calm down, which is something that did not help. Sara van Lunteren claims the next step for Umashree would have been offering her a new room in a different corridor. So, Umashree would in fact have been given the opportunity to move, whereas the taunting neighbors would have stayed.

“But now, since she has left Sweden, that won’t happen. A guy with similar problems was given a new room. Regardless, it is always a failure on our part when our tenants are forced to move.”

Culture clashes not unusual

At Lund Studenthealth Department, it is common to have students reporting about different problems. Ulrika Linse Strömland, Studenthealth psychologist, is well familiar with the components of Umashree Panchloy’s story.

“There are many international students who experience an enormous cultural clash when they come, both as it pertains to teaching and social life. Many of them also react on the alcohol culture in Lund.”

However, she doesn’t believe there is more partying in international corridors than in non-international ones.

“But if you move to a place where there suddenly is a lot of partying in your own home, and you are alone and a student from a different cultural background where such behavior is uncommon, there’s going to be a hard cultural clash.”

READ MORE: Fed up with Harassment – Now She Is Leaving Sweden

Text: Karolina Jakstrand

Translation: Maximilian Aleman-Tennell