FAQ's for Resident Halls and Academic and Administrative Buildings

 

I. EMERGENCY SERVICE REQUESTS

1. When a repair is considered an "Emergency Service Request"?

Your issue is considered an Emergency ONLY if it meets one or more of the following criteria:

• The problem jeopardizes a person’s safety.
  Examples: fire, elevator failures, gas leaks, evidence of break-in/theft, broken door locks/ inability to enter or secure door
• The problem will cause further damage or loss to property of a resident or the University.
  Examples: active water leaks, broken interior/exterior doors and windows, leaking gas stoves
• The problem will significantly disrupt University activities.
  Examples: any loss of utility system like electricity, water, or gas

Using these guidelines and your best judgment to decide whether something is an Emergency Service Request will help avoid delays in responding to service requests.

2. How do I submit an Emergency Service Request?

• For Emergencies that jeopardize s a person’s safety, contact the University Police Department at 202-994-6111 (Foggy Bottom) or (202) 242-6111 (Mount Vernon).
  For all other residence hall emergencies, call the RPM Call Center at (202) 994-0381. It is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Provide your name, the building name, your room/office number, the nature of the problem, email address and phone number.
• For emergencies in academic and administrative buildings, call Facilities Customer Service at 202-994-6706 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.  Describe the situation, and provide your name, the building name, your room/office number, the nature of the problem, email address and phone number.

3. How quickly is an Emergency Service Request completed?

The Facilities Management Department responds to Emergency Service Requests as soon as possible.  Life safety emergencies such as fire, gas leaks, broken water lines, and loss of utilities will have priority over other types of Emergency Service Requests.  Some repairs will require immediate attention, such as overflowing toilets or a lockout, while others will be addressed within 24 hours of being reported.  A temporary repair may be made to prevent further damage until a full repair can be completed.

II.  ALL OTHER SERVICE REQUESTS

1. What are examples of Service Requests?  (No charge for these repairs)

• Burned out light bulbs (in University-provided fixtures only)
• Broken window blinds
• Dripping faucets
• Pests (see information on Pest Control below)
• Cot / Mop / Bucket / Broom, Vacuum Cleaner requests; must be submitted three (3)business days in advance
• Broken furniture (see information on Furniture below)
• In residence halls, Lost Keys / Lockouts / Mailbox (refer to the Student Residence Hall Key Policy & Information)

2. How do I submit a Service Request?

Submit your Service Requests on FIXit. Follow the prompts and review the form for completeness before submitting.

3. When will my Service Request be completed?

Service Requests are responded to in the order in which they are received, normally within 2-19 working days of receipt.  This response time may vary depending upon how any service requests are in the queue ahead of yours. Repairs may be completed at the time of the initial response depending on the availability of parts and materials, in othercases repairs may not be completed until the required materials have been received.

 

III. FOLLOW-UPS

- In residence halls – Call RPM Call Center at (202 994-2430 for the status of your request

 

- In academic/administrative buildings – Call Facilities Customer Service at (202) 994-6708 for the status of your request

- The service technician left a hang tag that says my request has been completed, but it is still not fixed. What do I do now?

Do not submit a second request on FIXit

 

For residence halls - If you need more information, call Residential Property Management at (202) 994-2430, or send an email to gwurpm@gwu.edu, providing your name, residence hall, room number, the nature of the problem you reported, and your phone number. You will be contacted about the problem within 5 business days.

 

For academic/administrative buildings, call Facilities Customer Service at (202) 994-6708

IV. AIR CONDITIONING / HEAT

1. What do I do if I have a problem with the air conditioning or
    heat?

Generally speaking, air conditioning and heat are provided in all campus buildings on a seasonal basis.  Air conditioning is turned on (and heat turned off) annually during mid - April; heat is turned on (and air conditioning turned off) annually during mid - October. This means that when air conditioning is on in a building, heat is not provided.  Likewise, when heat is on in a building, air conditioning is not provided.  There are some older buildings that have window-mounted, room air conditioning units.  In these instances, it is possible to have air conditioning at other times of the year; however, air conditioning should never be operated when outside temperatures are below 40° F because the coil may freeze.  In such cases, during winter months, the A/C window unit can be turned on “fan” only to draw cool air into the room.

 

2. How will I know when the air conditioning/heat is turned on in
    my building?

 

For residence halls, Residential Property Management (RPM) will distribute informational postcards to students’ mailboxes alerting them to the impending change.  RPM and Facilities Management watch the long-range weather forecasts to determine the best possible time frame to initiate the seasonal transition.  Since the transition requires several days to accomplish, some buildings may change over before others.

 

3. Can I control the temperature in my room or office?

Central heating/cooling units in most buildings operate within a maximum/minimum temperature range.  Units in individual rooms or offices may be somewhat adjustable within that range either by wall mounted thermostats or unit control panels with on/off, hi/low fan speeds, and cooler/warmer dials.  Window-mounted air conditioning units have their own controls located on the units, although occasionally there may be wall-mounted thermostatic controls.  In case of operating problems, please submit a FIXit request for service.

4. What if it is too hot in my room or office during the air
    conditioning season or too cool during the heating season?

 

Occupants should first check that the equipment is turned on or that window-mounted units are plugged into an electrical outlet.  (See IV.1. above about running unit fans during winter season.)  If there are operational problems with the equipment beyond occupants’ ability to trouble-shoot, please submit a FIXit request for service. 

 

There can be wide swings in daily temperature during early fall and spring in the Washington, DC area before buildings’ systems are transitioned.  Transitioning mechanical systems from heating to cooling, and vice versa, requires several days to accomplish.  For this reason, RPM and FM work together to determine the best time to make the seasonal change after reviewing the ten-day advance forecast, as well as in the context of historical weather data for the area.  During the cooling transitional period, residents should turn off heating units, turn on ventilating fans if available, and open windows.  Windows should be closed during the threat of rain.  During the heating transitional period, use layered clothing and blankets as needed.

 

V. PEST CONTROL

1. What do I do if I have pests? (insects and rodents, not room OR
    OFFICE mates!)

Submit a request on FIXit. Facilities Management will perform an inspection of your work/living space. You need not be present for the inspection. They will determine the appropriate treatment and leave instructions on what you need to do to prepare the room for treatment.  For example, in a residence hall, it may be necessary for you to remove contents from the kitchen or bathroom cabinets before treatment. Please note that keeping food in sealed containers, removing trash and maintaining cleanliness will help to avoid pest problems.

 

VI. FURNITURE

For Academic/Administrative buildings – A SERVICE request FOR FURNITURE REPAIRS should be submitted and a departmental ORACLE account number provided.

For residence halls - each resident is entitled to one bed, one desk, one desk chair and one dresser in good working condition.  In rooms without closets, one wardrobe is provided unless the student has been provided with a loft system which contains a bed, desk, dresser and wardrobe.  This furniture must remain in the room at all times. Residents with missing or broken furniture should submit a FIXit request for service. 

 

Furniture in hallways is a violation of the fire laws as it impedes evacuation.  Residents will be charged the labor cost for returning furniture to rooms.
 

Cot requests - Submit cot requests on FIXit.  In the ‘Problem Category’ choose "COT – MOP BUCKET VACUUM REQUEST (RH ONLY)" from the pull-down menu.  It is important that you provide accurate delivery and pick-up dates in the ‘Brief Summary of Problem’ text box, and that you submit the request at least 3 business days in advance of date you want the cot delivered to you room.

VII. Appliances

 

For Academic/Administrative buildings - REFER TO MANUFACTURER’S WARRANTY INSTRUCTIONS FOR RQUESTING REPAIR OR MAINTENANCE WORK. 

 

For Residence Halls:

 

1. How can I add, remove, or repair appliances?

Each room containing one to three residents is entitled to one mini-fridge and one microwave in good working condition.  Rooms with four or more residents and rooms with kitchens are equipped with 10 cu. ft. refrigerators and microwaves.  Rooms with kitchens should also contain a stove and may be equipped with a dishwasher.  Residents with missing or non-working appliances should submit a FIXit request for service.  The smell of gas should be reported immediately to UPD at (202) 994-6111 (Foggy Bottom) or (202) 242-6111 (Mt. Vernon). 

VIII. OFFICE EQUIPMENT – REFER TO MANUFACTURER’S WARRANTY INSTRUCTIONS FOR REQUESTING REPAIR OR MAINTENANCE WORK.

 

IX. CABLE TV / INTERNET / TELEPHONE

1. My cable TV/internet/telephone isn’t working; what should I do?

For problems with your telephone, dataline/internet connection, or cable TV, please do not submit your service request through FIXit (see below).

Students: These services are provided by Student Technology Services. Click here to contact them about problems related to room phones, dataline/internet connection or cable TV.

 

Faculty and Staff: These services are provided by ISS. Click here to contact the ISS Helpdesk for assistance.

 

X. LAUNDRY

1. The laundry machines are broken; what should I do?

• For 1959 E Street, The Dakota and Townhouse Row, report machine problems through FIXit for service.
• For 2109 F Street, report machine problems to Coinmach at (800) 229-7837.
• For all other residence hall locations, report machine problems to Caldwell and Gregory, Inc. at (800) 927-WASH (9274).

Students should provide the following information to the laundry customer service operator when reporting equipment problems: name, residence hall name, residence hall address, laundry machine number (located on the front of each machine), and a description of the problem(s).

2. How can I request a refund for money lost in the laundry
    machines?

Refunds for 2109 F Street machines should be requested from Coinmach via the phone number above.  Refunds for laundry machines in all other residence halls should be requested at the GWorld Card Program Office located at the Marvin Center, 800 21st Street NW, Suite 501.

 

XI. MISCELLANEOUS

 

1. How do I request a mop/bucket/vacuum?

Submit your request on FIXit. In the ‘Problem Category’ choose “COT – MOP BUCKET BROOM VACUUM REQUEST (RH " from the pull-down menu.  It is important that you provide accurate delivery and pick-up dates in the ‘Brief Summary of Problem’ text box and that you submit the request at least three business days in advance of date you want the item(s) delivered to your room.

 

XII. DAMAGES

 

1. Will I (and/or my roommates) be billed for damages to my room?

Some circumstances are beyond students’ control (e.g. doorknobs falling off) and allowances are made for normal wear and tear.  However, reckless and vandalism damage to University property, such as mirrors being broken or holes being punched into walls, will result in charges to one or more residents to cover the cost of repair.  RPM staff will conduct room inspections in all rooms at the end of each semester.  Any damage to the room or its furniture, fixtures or appliances will be billed to resident(s) as appropriate.