Sven Alskog
News Editor
On the evening of Feb. 4, the Idaho State University Turner Dining Commons’ roof top unit (RTU) heating system filled the dining area with smoke, forcing an emergency shut off of the system. Emergencies such as this are some of the many challenges that ISU housing faces on an annual basis.
In the situation with the heater issues in Turner Dining Commons, ISU was able to bring in a diesel heater within a day, an effective short-term solution to keeping students and staff at a reasonable temperature during their meals. That heater is currently reserved for two weeks.
According to Craig Thompson, the director of university housing, the quick response time was thanks in large part to the efforts of the purchasing and facilities, who, he said, put together a great team effort.
The long-term solution will be to bring in a new RTU, something that is expected to be in Pocatello within 10 to 12 days following the order placement.
Group cooperation is needed to make the maintenance of ISU housing a successful endeavor.
“I have a great job, best on campus as far as I am concerned,” said Thompson. “I have a great staff that during breakdowns or emergencies, everyone chips in.”
In total, there are six maintenance employees and a supervisor, along with eight custodial workers for 12 buildings.
Compared to schools such as the University of Idaho and Boise State University, the total number of employees is relatively small. Thompson credits the quality of work that his staff provides as a key to making the lower employee total possible.
Another area of high priority for maintenance includes anything with water, such as a leak in the roof or a flood in the bathroom. These are double-edgedswords for housing for multiple reasons. If the maintenance is put off for any period of time, there will be damage to the facility, while at the same time creating an experience that is not at the level that students expect from ISU housing.
“Anything that presents a danger to our residents is of top priority,” said Thompson. “If a fire alarm goes out, we are required to do a fire watch every 15 minutes throughout the halls.”
Deferred maintenance is something that results from emergency situations. For buildings such as Turner Hall, this can create challenges.
“The building is 50 years old,” said Thompson. “There is tons of deferred maintenance in place. We do not have the money to do it all at once.”
However, since taking over the housing operations four years ago, Thompson has made an effort to improve the student experience on campus, all while alleviating much of the debt housing has picked up in the past.
All of the student rooms have been redone within the last few years, including new furniture, lights and other items meant to enhance the living conditions.
“Our whole goal is to help students graduate,” said Thompson. “We also have the goal of creating a good learning environment. Students who live on campus have higher retention rates and higher GPAs.”
Institutional research has shown that traditional freshmen living on-campus have a 2.98 GPA, while those off campus have a 2.83 GPA.
With the help of his maintenance and janitorial staff, Thompson hopes to keep the on campus experience at a level that will make students want to come back, all while contributing to academic success.
