Two quarters and a 10-minute walk to Ace Hardware would get you an electrical outlet cover.
But leaving the problem for the Office of Dorms and Commons to repair would put you in the hole $29.04.
During a sweep through 1835 Hinman, Facilities Management workers slapped the dorm’s executive board with the higher fee.
After students from other dorms challenged similarly high charges, Associated Student Government senators are voting Wednesday on a bill that would make repair fees reflect damages more accurately.
Residence Hall Association President Jada Black proposed the bill calling for Dorms and Commons to set fixed prices for repairs, to bill dorm governments in a more timely manner and to communicate with students about the repairs.
Black said she also has heard student complaints of irregularities in prices Dorms and Commons charges for similar repairs. A missing exit sign in Allison Hall, for example, cost $36 to replace, while a missing exit sign in Elder Hall cost $311.
“If there was more timely billing that cut through the red tape and paperwork, students could address their concerns while they’re still living in their dorms and have knowledge of the repairs,” said Black, a Medill sophomore.
Dorms and Commons administrators did not respond to phone calls or e-mails. But Dana Levit, assistant director of Dorms and Commons, wrote to Black in a May 1 memo that repair fees were high because of labor costs involved in the process.
“Our trade persons are paid by the hour, which includes examination of the space and any necessary time to leave the site and return with the appropriate materials for repair,” Levit wrote. “As you can see this causes projects to be more expensive.”
Nonetheless, Black said the charges are still too high for dorm governments to pay.
“It disturbs me that they’re aware repairs are more expensive, and they’re not doing anything,” Black said. “This is a problem that needs to be addressed.”
Communications Residential College President Jonathan Lewis said he didn’t receive a bill for repairs to the dorm’s water fountain, door knobs and sofas until two quarters after the equipment was damaged.
Not only do new dorm governments have to deal with damages that occurred before they were in office, Lewis said, but freshman can end up paying for previous residents’ damages.
“If none of our appeals were granted, they would have taken money out of the maintenance, damage and social accounts of freshman who weren’t even here when the damages happened,” said Lewis, a Speech junior.
Black said university bureaucracy creates the slowdown.
“The Facilities Management department bills Dorms and Commons, who bills Residential Life, who bills the dorm governments,” said Black. “It’s a huge cycle of paperwork that takes forever.”
Lewis and Public Affairs Residential College President Scott Medlock said that after a long appeals process, both their dorms were reprieved of thousands of dollars of damage fees.
“In the end they treated us pretty well,” said Medlock, a Weinberg senior. “But there’s still a huge problem with how the system works.”
