Amid the California summer heat waves, USC freshmen living on campus suffer inside their dorms without air conditioning. 

There are four freshmen dorms at USC without AC: Marks Tower, New North Residential College, Pardee Tower and Birnkrant Residential College. The ongoing struggle and discomfort in dorms without air conditioning point to a tangible danger to students and flaws in the University’s freshman housing plans. 

In downtown Los Angeles, temperatures this season reached 102 degrees Fahrenheit, with heat records being broken daily. A high-pressure system over the eastern Pacific and the West Coast drove the L.A. heat wave, and the National Weather Service has issued several heat advisories this season. Warnings state high risks of heat illness, with sensitive populations including those without AC. Heat stroke accounts for 12% of all weather-related deaths worldwide, according to a 2026 Worldmetrics report.

The weather service also advised L.A. residents to utilize air conditioning to combat extreme heat during heat waves. Furthermore, temperatures are expected to continue to rise yearly due to climate change, with heat waves in Southern California projected to increase in length and severity in the coming years. 

USC issued heat advisories lasting through mid-October, which encouraged staff supervisors and managers to ensure employees’ safety during heat waves. Campus Health advised students and staff to stay cool indoors whenever possible and warned about heat stroke and heat exhaustion. 

This year, students at other universities in Southern California, such as UCLA and UC San Diego, have also vocalized concerns about dorms without AC and the discomfort they are experiencing during recent heat waves. 

USC students have complained about the lack of air conditioning in freshman dorms for years. These issues persist even as tuition rises every year, with the on-campus cost of attendance at $103,162. This year, to try to beat the heat, residential facilities tried to keep stairway doors open and provide fans.

Following more frequent heat episodes in the state, the California Department of Public Health warned about direct danger to California residents. According to the department, more people die directly from heat than any other weather-related hazard. Although heat-related deaths and illnesses are preventable, the absence of AC puts people at a greater risk. 

Problems pertaining to AC become especially apparent during the summer months and the start of the year.

Students in freshmen on-campus dorms without AC are prohibited from having their own AC units installed. Some students have multiple fans in their rooms in an effort to stay cool.

Living in dorms without AC is more serious than excessive sweating and whining; it’s a policy that jeopardizes students’ overall safety. If the University truly wants to ensure the safety of its students, it needs to implement AC in all dorms.