Damages such as holes, dirt and paint chips in dorms and other campus residences are problematic for students year after year. This year continues to be no different, but what is being done about it?
“None of the damages [in my apartment] were handled prior to my arrival this fall,” said Laura Landis ’03. “Paint chips and holes were all over my walls. My apartment was filthy. There were papers all over the floors and mold in the bathroom. Rugs were not vacuumed, and the apartment smelled musty.”
“In May, we inspect units and charge out damages to students,” said Fran Koerting, director of Residence Life. “In September, we compare damages from those in May.”
Upon the students’ arrival and departure, they are issued the same inspection form, where they can report on any problems or damages they notice in addition to the RA’s comments.
Many students sign the inspection form without taking notice of prior damages from past residents.
“Students need to pay attention to room inspection forms,” said Gary Stephenson, director of Housing. “We need to be notified on damages that were there prior to the student’s arrival to avoid damage charges.”
Once the university mails out damage bills to students in May, many students are angered and disgusted by the charges. Unfortunately, many of these charges are necessary.
“I have seen townhouses where students departed leaving raw meat on the counters, newspapers that had been urinated on in the bathroom,” said Laura Cantrell, associate director of Residence Life. “I am not talking about a couple of thumbtack holes when I say excessive damages, I am talking about ten holes in the walls.”
Students often complain that damage charges are so high and are often angered at Residence Life. Students are often confused with damage charges versus replacement charges. Not all damages will necessarily be repaired right away if they are minor or are very livable conditions.
According to Koerting, it’s not that the damages go unnoticed, but rather that the school lacks the man power to take care of them all. “The hardest part with the damages is that there is not enough time or workers,” Koerting said.
In the 13-15 blocks, painting was much needed this summer. “There were only two painters for the entire campus this summer,” said Cantrell. “One hundred rooms in Dolan and half of the townhouses were painted this summer.”
Due to the cable upgrades in the townhouses, cleaning of the units was hard to complete because the work had to be done before cleaning began.
Stephenson urges students to report damages as soon as possible. “We would like to be notified a day after, so repairs can be done quickly,” Stephenson said. “If students wait until the end of the year to tell about a damage they caused, the charge may go up because there are more damages to fix across campus, and it costs more to complete. ”
Cantrell admitted that the university’s system is not perfect, but it is working on improvements. The university eats up charges if damages are not discovered.
Since the window of opportunity for repairs is so small, more attention is needed during the school year.
As of this year, townhouse managers will visit the units monthly to check for any needed damage repairs. This improvement allows for 12-month continual repairs.
Other improvements include new inspection forms.
“Because of the new forms, we have cut down two weeks on processing time for repairs,” Cantrell said. “We are open to any suggestions.”
Residence Life is now required to assess room damages with Campus Operations as to not overlook any damages.
“Students need to report damages,” Cantrell said. “Covering up holes and then reporting them in May leaves us with not enough time to repair. If students do a poor job in fixing damages, it will cost more to be fixed, and they will be charged more.”
All damage money is put into a student damage account, according to Koerting and Stephenson. They have also begun focus groups with students to plan for renovations of the townhouses and apartments.
Upon departure, students are instructed to clean their units to avoid any charges. The penalty for unclean apartments and townhouses is $300 and $100 for residence halls. Other possible charges are $100 for mattress replacement, $143 for new drapery rods, and $275 for drapery replacement.
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