Residents concerned with privacy
Privacy and safety in student housing have once again become an important issue to students.
Many residents said they feel violated by crews coming in at unannounced times.
“I didn’t like that they could be in here without us in here,” said Foundation resident Chelsea Backer. “One they came in to clean the vents and my bed is under the vent and they left a whole bunch of dust on my bed.”
Students also said they would like to be informed when these services are scheduled so they would be better prepared for their arrival.
“When it’s early in the morning, eight or nine o’clock, they knock on your door,” said Bobcat resident Thomas Wilkerson. “They need to have more scheduled times because it’s an inconvenience.”
Because of a shorthanded maintenance staff, Bobcat Village can only be scheduled at certain times of the day.
Assistant Director for Apartment Living Sherolyn Hopkins said that the crews come from main campus so when they are able to come out to Bobcat Village, their help is in high demand. Hopkins also said because there are many requests from apartments for repair work, convenient time slots are not always available.
“I have a student worker who comes from 10:30 to 1:30 every day,” said Hopkins. “He goes around and does small things like unstop toilets, but the other guys are coming from on campus and we pretty much have them whenever they come out here.”
At this time, students don’t have the right to deny entry to Georgia College & State University service personnel and are not consulted as to when they will show.
The Georgia College & State University Department of University Housing 2004-2005 Contract Terms & Conditions under Section XI: Right of Entry/Search and Seizure Policy states that, “The university reserves the right to enter a student’s room in the following instances: (A) when there is sufficient reason to believe that an occupant of the room may be physically harmed or endangered; when university property is believed to be damaged; when university policy is being violated; (B) to make periodic health, safety, and maintenance inspections; (C) for pest control; (D) or to make routine physical repairs to university property.”
The policy further states that the university is also allowed to penalize residents for any prohibited paraphernalia found while servicing the apartment or dorm.
The policy states, “If there is some specific reason to suspect that a criminal offense has taken place or evidence of that offense may be secured in that room, the warrant required shall be followed. If in the course of entry as described above illegal materials are found in plain view, they will be removed and the student will be notified of the confiscation and face possible disciplinary action.”
Still, some students believe that this policy is an invasion of personal space.
“When I have something going on, they come in to spray. They have no regard for your space and your stuff,” said Bobcat resident Adam Sanders.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Apr 29 2005. Filed under News.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
