Re: “Free laundry is not enough”

I would like to start out by saying I empathize with the Forest Quad residents and everything they’re going through.

I remember when Union Street Center was being built and the construction noises woke me up bright and early every morning, and I lived all the way in Read Center.

Headaches were not uncommon in the mornings of my freshman year.

I also understand you feel like your residential experience is being undermined by all of the construction that’s happening in your residence hall.

Let’s be honest: It absolutely sucks right now, even though it’s going to be an incredible dining facility next year.

However, on the point of lowering the costs of your living expenses this year because of the hardships you’ve endured, I don’t think you recognize how difficult that would be — and NOT because Residential Programs and Services doesn’t want to listen to you.

The fact of the matter is there isn’t anything they CAN do.

Room rates are established in February of the year they go into effect, after a long process of being proposed by RPS, taken to the Residence Halls Association General Assembly to consider and ask for changes if necessary, being voted on by the Campus Housing Advisory Committee and then going to the president and the Board of Trustees, who may or may not request that further changes be made.

Ultimately, the rates and budget are set in stone by the Board of Trustees.

Once the Board of Trustees has made that decision, RPS isn’t at liberty to make changes, especially not halfway through the year.

I’m not a financial expert, and I don’t work for RPS, but I would imagine the amount of time necessary to make changes to the budget given the loss of income from student housing rates in the middle of the year would probably be more time than all of you would still be living in Forest.

To the best of my knowledge, RPS has to plan its budget very specifically and meticulously.

Even if they had the leeway to cut all of your housing costs, however, the fact of the matter is that it would have to be approved by much higher powers, and the chances of that are probably not great.

Your complaint is not with RPS as much as you think it is.

On a final note, RPS does listen to students. I am a student, and my Residence Halls Association colleagues are students. We meet with various RPS administrators every week.

I have never worked with people who cared more about students.

They do what they do because they are passionate about making residence life better for students.

I personally meet regularly with the Executive Director of RPS Patrick Connor.

In the four years I have been interacting with these people, I have never once felt that student welfare was taken lightly.

Residence hall students do have a voice, and a very specific connection, to RPS and to campus at large.

It’s called the Residence Halls Association. It’s our job to represent you, so bring us your concerns, or better yet, get involved!

Don’t just complain — act. Opportunities are available.

­— salwells@indiana.edu