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November 06, 2009
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Improper checkout fees: unplugged Between tuition and books, school is expensive. Each penny saved can make a big impact-but so can each fee charged.Improper closing fees can start to add up quickly if students aren't careful when leaving rooms for breaks. With a charge of $5 per task performed incorrectly, it's easy to sacrifice spending-money for a few extra minutes on the road. About a week before the start of any given break, resident assistants post a brightly-colored form on the front door of each of their residents' rooms. That form shows lists each task students must perform and verify by signing the sheet before leaving for home. The tasks include things like unplugging everything, taking out the trash, defrosting the refrigerator and turning down the heat. Residence life staff members Jenna Fredericks, Eric Lassahn and Nikki Tobias each agreed that these tasks, while simple, can add up to a lot of trouble if not performed. Fredericks, the assistant director of residence life for student conduct, presented them in three categories: energy, safety and comfort. Things like turning lights off, turning heat down and unplugging appliances fall into the energy category. Lassahn, the director of residence life and volunteer programs, asked that students keep in mind that any amount of wasted energy multiplied by 2,000 students and multiplied again by the amount of time the energy is needlessly consumed adds up to a large cost to the university. "Saving the institution money, in turn, saves you money," Lassahn said, "The fees help to compensate for the waste." Other responsibilities when leaving for breaks, such as closing and locking windows, discarding perishable foods and locking the doors, are safety or health issues. Because some of these issues are important to the health of the student, the safety of the building and other residents or the security of the building's contents, Fredericks said that when she was an RA in college, improper closing could be written up as an incident. Luckily for the students, improper closing is no longer a conduct issue, but the health of students is still important. Old food attracts mice and bugs, which threaten the health of the building's residence. The other issue in closing involves students' comfort. Leaving the heat on high during a week-long break can leave students with a sweltering room; during a month-long break it becomes a fire hazard. One comfort and health issue is taking fish home for breaks. Tobias, the assistant director of residence life, said she has heard of students leaving a fish in the room over winter break. "How is your fish going to live for a month?" Tobias asked, adding that the smell, health risks and overall sad situation of fish neglect make it one of the worst infractions. Fees help compensate for wasted energy costs and encourage students to come back to a safe and comfortable environment. Unfortunately, Lassahn said, students may not always be concerned enough with environmental issues beyond the gas money it takes to get home for the holidays, so the fees help to serve as a consequence and deterrence for that neglect. In addition, Tobias noted that the fees help to lighten the load on the RAs, who are nailed with a lot of responsibilities upon room closing. When each resident can do his or her part to complete these tasks, the RAs can sign off and head home that much sooner. Another issue that drives up costs to residents is visible contraband. Because RAs are entering your room as you're gone, this becomes a chance for them to notice the coffee pot or candle warmer you've had on your dresser all semester. "We're not allowed to go into closets and under beds," said Liz Fulton, Reed Hall RA, "but if there's alcohol sitting out in the open, I'm going to report it." According to Fredericks, contraband is generally confiscated upon discovery in a room closing, but the student will be notified about the discovery. If it is a conduct issue, she said, "expect to hear from me." Fredericks, Lassahn and Tobias were all also quick to note that fees are not paid back to the Office of Residence Life. "It is to let you know that, in good faith, if I have to give a fine, it's not a reward to the department," Fredericks said. The fines are tacked onto the student's university account, which goes into the general university fund. While some expected fine money is budgeted to the office each year, it is not directly related to how much they collect in fines. In other words, student fines do not directly fund a new desk in the office or even student programs. There are a few things students can do to learn more about closing fees and other residence life issues. First, Fredericks said, is to read the handbook. The residence life section on Susquehanna's Web site contains a wealth of information. And, if students are still missing something, they can always speak with RAs, HRs or the residence life staff. "Communication is the Holy Grail of residence life," Lassahn said, "We really try to get all the information out there to students; it's just a matter of whether they pay attention and apply it." Another tactic is to know your RAs. Fredericks and Tobias mentioned that fees are charged at the discretion of the RA who is doing the check. It helps to know whether an RA charges $5 for not unplugging anything or $5 for each plug left in the wall, "and there's always that plug behind the bed that gets missed when hurrying out the door," Fulton said. Even if an RA has already made the charge, students should feel free to approach the residence life staff with any questions or concerns. Whether it's a matter of being rushed out the door or a window that refuses to lock, "we are understanding and willing to work with students," Fredericks said. Lassahn echoed his sympathy for students, saying, "It can be frustrating to feel like you're getting nickeled and dimed by the institution." Knowing the benefits of proper closing for students and the institution, as well as understanding some of the collection logistics, can help to alleviate some of the frustration students may have. |
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