SchoolDude submissions slow to be fixed by FSM

Since the start of the academic year, some Resident Assistants (RA) have noticed a variety of issues in their Residence Halls. These issues have resulted in multiple work orders needing to be submitted.

Junior Camille Wright, an RA in North Hall, has submitted 10 work orders for persisting issues since the start of the semester, double the amount she submitted all of last year as an RA in Woodland Hall.

Among those issues are clogged shower drains and the lack of hot water. “The shower drains backed up in one room in North, and after putting in a work order and having someone from facilities come, the issue persisted and I put in a second work order for the same issue,” Wright said.

Director of Administration and Operations Peter Hayes said response time to work orders is typically quick, however more complicated issues like plumbing may require Facilities and Sustainability Management (FSM) to make multiple visits.

152 Grove Street, home to the Office of Facilities and Sustainability Management (FSM). Photo by Rebecca Osowski

Wright said she has received delayed response time to simpler issues in North as well. The common room refrigerator has not worked since September and the work order has gone unanswered.

“Even though I’ve tried following up through SchoolDude, emailing facilities, and my Area Coordinator, I haven’t gotten any actual updates as to when we can expect the problem to be resolved,” Wright said.

Sophomore Sydney Morgello, an RA in Woodland Hall, said most of the problems in her building are broken washers and dryers. The machines are outsourced from CSC Service Works, meaning FSM does not handle them, leading to a longer response time.

Hayes said if a student notices a broken machine, they can scan the QR code on the machine and contact the company directly to file a complaint.

QR code to SchoolDude, where students can fill out work order submissions.

If students encounter an issue they would like to report, the FSM team asks them to submit a SchoolDude Request that can be found on MyLasell.

In order to make sure their work orders are answered efficiently, Hayes encourages students to include specific details about the problem, their building, and room number.

An additional way to make sure the work orders are answered is to be aware that FSM will show up to fulfill the order. “Sometimes [FSM] go knocking on the door and students in the room, they will not open the door. They’ll come back, knock again, ‘Facilities, facilities,’ and [students] will not open it up for the guys to come in,” Hayes said.

Hayes added some employees are hesitant to enter rooms without the resident present, so being aware of the status of the work order and times it may be addressed will help with getting the issue solved.

Morgello said her experience with FSM has been positive. “I love its crew. I think they’re great people and I think they do the best they can with the resources they are given.”

Maintenance vehicles parked outside of the Facilities and Sustainability Management Office. Photo by Rebecca Osowski

Hayes’s top priority is the students’ satisfaction with their home away from home, “You are the paying customer. You know so everything we do, I do and my team does, we do to make sure that [students] are happy and comfortable.” Hayes said. “That is my goal because if [students] are not happy and comfortable, that means we are not doing our job.”