Talking Stick - November/December 2009 - 21

director for residence life facilities at North Dakota State University in Fargo, emphasizes, “Our apartment students are very much a part of the community and treat it with respect.” Joanie Schmidt, associate director of residence life at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, reinforces this idea by explaining that “The vast majority of the residents know and understand why the rules and regulations are in place, and they respect them.” However, living in a campus apartment can be quite different from living in a traditional residence hall because apartment residents generally spend more time in the facilities, cooking, studying, and socializing. The diversity of the populations also plays a role in creating this difference, as Schmidt notes: “Our residents, like most university apartment residents, are probably the most diverse on campus. We have families – student and spouse, student with children, graduate students, faculty and staff including visiting scholars and exchange students, undergraduate students who have junior status or are over 21 years of age, plus a large group of international students from a myriad of countries.” In short, she adds, “Their actions are as diverse as the people themselves.” The Graduate and Family Housing Department at the University of Florida in Gainesville reveals the same diversity; there, more than 80 percent of the residents are international students or families. Another difference is that apartment residents tend to be more mobile than those in residence halls. They usually do not sign a lease for a semester or two like students in the residence halls do. The check-in and checkout process is ongoing, since most of the tenants stay for a year, or often longer, though some stay for only a few weeks. Apartment Inspection Programs and Other Success Stories Several colleges and universities – such as the University of Texas at Arlington, North Dakota State, Central Michigan, and the University of Florida – have initiated programs to help staff educate the diverse populations of residents on how to maintain their apartments in sanitary conditions and meet the standards of their institutions. The following is a description and assessment of the programs implemented by these institutions. The Keys for Success: Consistency, Communication, and Team Effort Looking at the variety of programs that different institutions developed to educate residents on apartment maintenance, the following conclusions can be drawn: 1. These programs need to take place consistently throughout the year, or effectiveness will lessen. 2. As with any educational approach, communication plays a tremendous role. For example, one of the challenges when addressing cleanliness problems is not to be judgmental, especially when dealing with an extremely diverse population from different cultural backgrounds. Communication needs to be culturally relevant and must address the real issue, which is the safety and security of the residents and their community. 3. Finally, the approach has to be a team effort. Still too often, educating residents is primarily the responsibility of the residence life staff. To maximize efficiency, multiple areas of housing institutions need to be involved, such as maintenance, custodial services, pest control, administrative services, and the judicial office. Every staff member should have the opportunity to adopt a role as educator. Apartment Inspection Programs: Called “Apartment Cleanliness Inspection” at the University of Florida, “Cleaning and Sanitation Inspections” at the University of Texas at Arlington, or simply “Apartment Inspections” at Central Michigan, the goal of all three programs is the same: checking apartments on a regular basis to ensure that the facilities stay in sanitary condition and to encourage the residents to play an active role in this process. Rena Buchan, assistant director for graduate and family housing at the University of Florida, launched their program three years ago, and it has proven to be very successful. These inspections take place every six months in each of the five villages that constitute their graduate and family housing. Since 2006, twice a year, a minimum of two staff members have inspected the general conditions (floors, walls, etc.) of each apartment and have addressed safety violations for a total of 980 apartments. Molly Albart, director of apartment life at the University of Texas at Arlington, and her staff supplement their inspection program by providing detailed cleaning guidelines prior to inspections. These guidelines contain descriptions of the inspection process as well as advice on how to clean different areas. november + December 2009

Talking Stick - November/December 2009

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