There have been complaints over the past school year about unannounced maintenance workers appearing in rooms to fix issues. Anna Rybachek (junior, biology, Spanish, psychology), along with other students in Lamson Hall, experienced this when she put in a maintenance request for a broken drawer in her room and a maintenance worker showed up without any email notice about the date and time they would be in the room to fix it. Although that was unexpected, there have been more extreme instances.
Lucille Borges (senior, speech pathology) shared her frustration over a lack of communication regarding sudden dorm maintenance earlier this year.
“There was one time earlier this year when I walked in, and my beds were moved away from the window and there was no window. Like a completely open hole in the wall,” Borges said. “I come back a few hours later and there are men in my room. We had no warning or clue that this would happen and ended up needing to wash the sheets when they were finally done because of all the dust that was acquired from them working.”
While she acknowledged the benefit of the upgrade, the surprise nature of the installation was concerning.
“We did appreciate the new window; however, we had no idea that it would happen and that we would come back to men in our room, and our stuff was all rearranged,” she continued. “My roommate went to talk to Dean Fitting about it, and he apologized, his explanation was that they had extra windows some people weren't notified since it was last minute, but I also don't know anyone else who had their window changed that was notified, so I can't really say whether that was what happened.”
Borges wasn’t the only student affected by the sudden window replacements. Another student, who wished to remain anonymous, shared a similarly disruptive experience.
“This also happened to one of my friends, and her door was knocked on at 9 a.m. while she was in the shower. They came in, and she got out of the shower and realized people were moving her stuff,” the student said. “They were pretty insistent on getting it done ASAP, and the dean came up to talk to her after they had already been in the room, but she was very frustrated because she was trying to get ready for her next class, and they were sort of rushing her to get out.”
The student noted that the workers moved and unplugged items without permission, resulting in additional inconvenience.
“They moved all of her things, some were unnecessary, like they unplugged her fridge and put it on her desk (and it was for hours), and her stuff also got dirty,” they added. “She had no warning, so she wasn't able to prepare her room herself, which made it a big inconvenience in the end.”
Dean Fitzroy Duncan and Jamie Klesitz, the Lamson Hall maintenance supervisor, clarified that two different crews operate in the residence halls. The Residence Hall maintenance team, which includes Duncan and other building supervisors, is not required to sign in when entering, as they are considered part of the hall staff. The second group, Plant Services, only responds to emergencies and must sign in at the front desk.
According to Klesitz, “Students should know that it is appropriate and normal to have maintenance workers coming and going in the dorm from the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.”
Since Klesitz started supervising Lamson Hall maintenance about two years ago, efforts have been made to improve communication.
“We try to send an email to the residents whose rooms we plan to enter the night before or the morning of,” Klesitz said. “If the time needs to change, we’ll notify them again.”
Despite these efforts, gaps remain, as per student responses about unnotified repair work. While emergencies understandably require fast action, situations like unannounced window installations raise questions about boundaries and respect.
Students understand that it’s not realistic for maintenance work to be scheduled entirely around our personal routines. We don’t expect to choose the timing or dictate the maintenance crew’s availability. However, a simple heads-up, or even a brief email the night before or morning of, can make a significant difference. Being notified in advance allows us to prepare our space, secure personal belongings in case of major renovations to prevent dirtying them or accidentally breaking them, or even step out if we prefer not to be present during the work. It’s not about control, but about having the opportunity to be aware and ready.
Another aspect that could benefit from greater transparency is the occasional presence of outside visitors in the dorm, some of whom are men, even if accompanied by staff. Though these visits may be necessary or appropriate, residents are not always informed beforehand. Instituting a general notification or setting specific visiting hours could help students feel more comfortable and aware of who is entering their shared space.
While not all students have had negative experiences with the maintenance team, others still see room for improvement in communication.
“I must say that I do not think that any of this was in any way a problem on the part of the maintenance workers,” said Christen Li (senior, anthropology). “. . . I have had very nice interactions with the dorm maintenance workers, and some are very helpful and kind.”
At the same time, she acknowledged, “I would of course prefer more advance warning before maintenance workers come by [and] I would prefer it if they could refrain from working on any of the rooms until maybe a little bit later in the morning, as some students sleep in, but I also understand that this is simply not always possible.”
Lamson Hall residents aren’t calling for an end to necessary repairs. Rather, we’re asking for what most would expect in any living space: clear communication, respect for privacy and some forewarning, especially when it involves unfamiliar faces in familiar rooms.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.