The SA Senate passed the Resolution to Support River Campus Facilities and Environmental Service Workers Monday, Feb. 19 in response to reports that students have acted disrespectfully towards these workers.
“Facilities workers have reported to administrators a sense of feeling ignored, invisible, and unrecognized for all the work that they do around campus to maintain a comfortable and clean environment,” the resolution states.
According to the resolution, students have spat in front of cleaning environmental service workers, smeared excrement on mirrors, thrown paper towels on the ground instead of in the trash, made racist remarks towards these workers, and walked into bathrooms while they were closed for cleaning.
Students have also made daily cleaning responsibilities for workers at Todd Union more difficult by misusing the bathrooms on the bottom floor through “discarding packages, wrapping, boxes, and other garbage on the floor,” the resolution states.
In addition to that, students sleeping with lights off in common areas and propping doors open at night have hindered workers from being able to clean and prepare spaces, as well as become security hazards.
In response to the above incidents, the resolution points out the University’s Standards of Student Conduct 2023-2024 and the University’s Policy Against Harassment and Discrimination that prohibit harassment, overnight sleeping in unauthorized places, propping open doors to residence halls, behaviors like derogatory statements and demeaning jokes, interfering with an individual’s ability to perform their job, and more.
In a unanimous vote, the SA expressed support and respect for these workers and denounced these incidents. The resolution puts forth actions that the Campus Life Committee and the Judicial Branch are charged with to better the relationship between students and facilities and environmental service workers.
