Sorbonne Nouvelle University’s students are disappointed by the new campus that they have been waiting for since 2018. 

Campus Nation is the name of Sorbonne Nouvelle’s new campus. Located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris and designed by the famous French architect Christian de Portzamparc, it is fully furnished and well-supplied with new technology and equipment. However, the campus has been criticized by its students because of unprecedented struggles present in the new building, mostly the long waiting lines at the university’s restaurant.

Sorbonne Nouvelle University students find themselves in stressful situations. Romeo Pack, a master’s student in Applied Languages at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University, said: “We’ve been waiting for the campus Nation for 4 years, and now here we are, we have to wait for 40 minutes for a meal”. Pack said the situation is putting him and other students in great difficulty, as they are obliged to eat elsewhere at an expensive price. 

Pack said paying more to eat before the early afternoon classes is nerve-wracking and, financially, not helpful at all. Especially in a period where the majority of students are already coping with inflation that has struck the entire world and increased the precariousness of students.

Samhah Rozan says the issue affects the 9000 students on campus.  The master’s student in translation confirmed that some students are unable to afford lunch outside the campus, where prices are four times higher than those offered in the campus restaurant. These students are forced to fast.

Long waiting lines also impact restaurant staff members. One employee agreed to talk about the problem on the condition that their name would not appear (for fear of losing their job). The source said: “It is quite stressful and anxious for us as restaurant employees because when there are long waiting lines, we are obliged to accelerate our rate of service, and it is very tiring.” They added that they spoke to their manager to find a solution to the situation, but, the answer was: “you should wait” and nothing has been done so far.

The director of the university’s restaurant, Jean-François Patern said the official decision to open the campus for the current academic year (2022–2023) was a surprise, as there was no organizational strategy in place to ensure the proper functioning of every service. 

“We were in a rush, doing our best to prepare everything and be on time, which explains the chaotic environment on the campus during the first term of the academic year”. However, he confirmed that after the Christmas holidays, there would be meals at the canteen available at the same price as the university restaurant. This will allow students to eat whenever they want at an adaptable price without worrying about waiting in lines or their budget. 

Patern also shared exclusive details about the new organization plan to be introduced at the start of 2023. New screens that show the menu of each stand will be installed to facilitate the orientation of students and avoid waiting lines. The campus will also open two additional stands inside the restaurant with other menus aiming to vary the students’ nutrition, and new coffee and snacks machines will be available on the campus by the first quarter of the new year. 

Fadoua Hammoumi