Repair process keeps Maintenance busy
Campus Times
February 21, 1997
Many students living on-campus have had complaints about the Operations
and Maintenance Department and the way it does its job. But, as the saying
goes, "Have you ever walked a day in my shoes?"
For the Operations and Maintenance Department, a student resident's
complaint is held in high regard, but should be first filed through their
resident assistant (R.A.). Then, the R.A. directs the complaint to the Operations
and Maintenance Department.
According to Brian Worley, director of facilities management, "Once
we get the complaint from the R.A., we send someone out to fix what they
can see, and wait for the students to give us feedback. Most of the time
we never hear if the problem has been solved or not."
Worley also explained that if they do not hear in enough time if the
problem has been solved, the workers could be busy elsewhere and do not
have the time to go back immediately and fix the problem.
"Feedback is very important to us, we certainly want to do the
best job we can do. For instance, if there is a very serious leak that occurs
in the dorms during the rain, we need to know about it. Repairing the leak
needs to happen during the next dry season, so we need to know what's going
on from the students,"said Worley.
According to resident assistant in Stu-Han, senior Makayla Benjamin,
"There is a check-off sheet that is left on the R.A.'s door to let
the student and the R.A. know that the job has been completed. It has been
a much faster process, the job gets done within one or two days, and we
know it's been done."
Besides fixing leaks in the dorms, Maintenance is responsible for the
entire University from something as simple as replacing a burnt out light
bulb to repairing the elevator in the Wilson Library. Everything that is
repaired by Maintenance is taken out of its budget, which with the two percent
cuts in the budget school-wide, the Maintenance Department is suffering
already.
Worley explained that when the campus is abused, the Maintenance Department
has to pay.
There have also been attempts to reroof all of the buildings on campus,
which is a seven year process. When all the roofs are finished and it is
the end of the seven years, the process starts all over again, it has become
a never ending cycle.
Maintenance worker Scott Forsyth believes, "We are working very
efficiently with the man-power that we have."
According to Worley, a Carnegie Foundation study done in the 1970s showed
that more than 60 percent of high school students claim their No. 1 reason
for choosing a college is the outer appearance of the school.
"This proves how a student perceives the comfort level, which is
a major tool in facilitating education," Worley said.
"I feel good always beset by problems, we are a service and always
feel conducive to the mission of ULV," said Worley.
It is the Maintenance Department's philosophy to know that they are
a service, and they understand why they are here.