2008 Woodie Awards
Residence Life saves $213, cuts 29 desk hours
Issue date: 9/17/07 Section: Op-Ed
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It seems like a pattern here.
Last semester, operating hours of campus dining facilities were adjusted and students were incredulous. Most of Sykes stopped serving at 8 p.m. A sole register was in use for five hours at the new diner. It was as if we were living at a sleep-away camp rather than a university.
Well now, yet again, the students of this University - especially those living on campus - are being short-changed. Front desks in all residence halls are opening later in the day and closing earlier in the evening, thus providing fewer services to the 4,000+ students that live on campus.
Students who live in residence halls are provided with a number of essential and non-essential services from the Office of Residence Life and Housing Services - all through the front desk of their building. Any mail that cannot fit in a mailbox about the size of sneaker is held behind the desk for students. When a third-party company such as UPS or FedEx delivers packages, they leave them at the front desk. If there's nobody at the front desk, the package leaves the building with the delivery-person.
Probably the most important services the front desk provides are those pertaining to conflict resolution. An on-call resident assistant or director is always available through the front-desk. In the case of alcohol or noise violations, roommate conflicts, or the simple but frequent occurrence of being locked out, the front desk is the go-to point. But it isn't if the desk isn't occupied.
Of course, the desk is also there for students' convenience. They rent DVDs, cookware, billiards equipment and other recreational items. They also sign out the keys for computer labs and study lounges.
Last semester, and for many semester prior, normal operating hours of the front desks in residence halls provided that the desk be opened as early as 7:30 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends and close as late as 11:30 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday nights and 1:30 a.m. Thursday to Saturday nights. These hours provided good coverage for an active student lifestyle. For the most part, the desks were open when students were most likely to be active and coming in and out of the building.
Last semester, operating hours of campus dining facilities were adjusted and students were incredulous. Most of Sykes stopped serving at 8 p.m. A sole register was in use for five hours at the new diner. It was as if we were living at a sleep-away camp rather than a university.
Well now, yet again, the students of this University - especially those living on campus - are being short-changed. Front desks in all residence halls are opening later in the day and closing earlier in the evening, thus providing fewer services to the 4,000+ students that live on campus.
Students who live in residence halls are provided with a number of essential and non-essential services from the Office of Residence Life and Housing Services - all through the front desk of their building. Any mail that cannot fit in a mailbox about the size of sneaker is held behind the desk for students. When a third-party company such as UPS or FedEx delivers packages, they leave them at the front desk. If there's nobody at the front desk, the package leaves the building with the delivery-person.
Probably the most important services the front desk provides are those pertaining to conflict resolution. An on-call resident assistant or director is always available through the front-desk. In the case of alcohol or noise violations, roommate conflicts, or the simple but frequent occurrence of being locked out, the front desk is the go-to point. But it isn't if the desk isn't occupied.
Of course, the desk is also there for students' convenience. They rent DVDs, cookware, billiards equipment and other recreational items. They also sign out the keys for computer labs and study lounges.
Last semester, and for many semester prior, normal operating hours of the front desks in residence halls provided that the desk be opened as early as 7:30 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends and close as late as 11:30 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday nights and 1:30 a.m. Thursday to Saturday nights. These hours provided good coverage for an active student lifestyle. For the most part, the desks were open when students were most likely to be active and coming in and out of the building.
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