Camryn Clift
Contributing Writer
cclift@murraystate.edu
Residents of James H. Richmond Residential College are facing significant maintenance issues despite recent renovations, which were a result of the 2017 gas explosion.
From Aug. 14 to Sept. 5, 129 work orders were filed by students in New Richmond.
The Murray State News filed an open records request per the Open Records Act for maintenance reports and records in New Richmond during this time period.
Thirty-five reports were filed for issues with water, and 34 for air conditioning. Other work orders dealing with electrical malfunctions and even the presence of mice have been common.
The building was evacuated Sept. 2 because the odor of gas was reported on the first floor. No gas was detected upon inspection and the Murray Fire Department gave the all-clear to re-enter the building.
“Work orders are prioritized and responded to based on urgency,” Shawn Touney, director of communication, said. “Items such as air conditioning and plumbing needs are responded to more quickly than a storage closet needing rekeyed or couch moved in the building,”
Dakota Hoagland, sophomore from Owensboro, Kentucky, lives in the original wing of New Richmond. He is one of the students that has grappled with multiple maintenance issues since the beginning of the semester.
What began as just a toilet that wouldn’t flush, requiring both residents of Hoagland’s room to use the public restrooms on the first floor of the residential college, quickly turned into more pressing matters.
“We’ve had housing people come in at least six or seven times in the last three weeks, since the semester started,” Hoagland said. “Our shower has been the biggest
problem.”
At first, Hoagland and his roommate were able to use their shower, but issues with the plumbing presented themselves a few days into the semester.
“The piping was actually flooding the room below us [when we used our shower],” Hoagland said.
Because of the leak, they were told not to use their own shower and were given access to the shower in an empty room on the fourth floor, but only after going several days without access to any shower at all.
“We have to go up two flights of stairs to [shower],” Hoagland said.
He believes the plumbing issues stem from a failure to inspect the original side of the building properly after the residential college was damaged.
“It really does seem like it’s been a rushed job,” Hoagland said.
Touney offered reassurance that the entire building has been thoroughly reviewed and inspected by campus and state authorities, and that a contingency plan for accommodations was in place had the building not been deemed ready by move-in day.
Originally, maintenance staff wanted Hoagland and his roommate to move out of their current room on the second floor into the room they have access to on the fourth floor so the faulty piping could be fixed.
Although his roommate has chosen to temporarily relocate to the fourth-floor room while maintenance workers perform repairs on their second-floor shower, Hoagland has chosen to stay in the room where he had already settled all of his belongings.
“They warned us of an excess in dust while the housing people work on our shower and that it could be a hazard for sleeping,” Hoagland said.
His air conditioner has proven to be problematic as well. Described as turning on and off, he said the air conditioner in his room has been ineffective, despite attempts by facilities management to rectify the malfunction.
“It’s gotten up to over 80 degrees in our room,” Hoagland said.
Other residents have filed work orders for rooms that remain extremely cold.
Although maintenance staff fixed his toilet in a timely manner, the problems with his air conditioner and shower are ongoing.
For Hoagland, the move to New Richmond hasn’t necessarily been what he expected.
“There seems to be a lot more [flaws] than I thought there was going to be,” Hoagland said.
Because of the maintenance issues he has experienced, Hoagland is thinking about moving off campus next year.
“It’s definitely been a negative experience,” Hoagland said. “I am strongly considering an apartment next year.”
However, he does appreciate that the building is nice, despite the problems he has experienced with the appliances.
The maintenance issues are not exclusive to the original wing of the building.
Jacob Harris, an engineering physics major from Peewee Valley, Kentucky, noticed his furniture had significant wear and tear, including chips in the wood, broken door handles and a missing panel in his sink. Harris is a resident of the newly-refurbished wing of the building. The issues that could be fixed have since been resolved.
“The only recurring issue is the water pressure,” Harris said.
He said the water temperature fluctuates between cold and scalding hot. There has also been rattling from a unit in the wall of his room that is loud enough to wake him up in the middle of the night.
Despite the issues, Harris’ overall experience has been a positive one.
“It’s got a lot more space, and it’s a much nicer building [than the residential college he lived in previously],” Harris said.
Touney said students who are experiencing issues in the residential colleges should contact their residential advisor.
“Our staff will work hard to complete all repairs as quickly as possible,” Touney said. “Our staff will continue to be as proactive as possible, such as checking each room prior to the start of the semester to identify potential needs
and repairs.”