University Custodial Staff: Student Impressions And Insights

University custodial staff play a vital role in maintaining the cleanliness and safety of educational facilities. They are often referred to as the invisible campus culture, working behind the scenes to ensure a sanitary and secure environment for students, faculty and staff. Their work includes a wide range of tasks such as cleaning, maintenance, and even mentoring students. While they may not be as visible as professors or deans, university custodial staff are essential to the functioning of the institution and deserve recognition and respect from the student body.

Despite their importance, university custodial staff often face challenges such as long hours, physical demands, and a lack of appreciation from students. It is important for students to understand the value of custodial staff and to show gratitude for their hard work. This can be as simple as a small thank you or wave, which can make a significant difference in how valued they feel.

In conclusion, university custodial staff play a crucial role in creating a positive and healthy environment for students and should be recognised and respected for their contributions.

Custodians are often taken for granted by students

Despite their crucial role, custodians are often overlooked and underappreciated. Students might not realise the value of custodial staff, expecting them to clean up after their messes without a second thought. This sense of entitlement can lead to a lack of respect and gratitude towards custodians. However, it is important to recognise that custodians are not just cleaners; they are mentors, advisors, and supporters of students and staff. They often come from diverse backgrounds and can offer unique perspectives and wisdom that contribute to the broader education of those they interact with.

In addition to their sanitation duties, custodians play a vital role in promoting the well-being of students. They look after students' welfare, reporting concerns to the relevant authorities and offering a friendly ear when needed. They are often the first people students turn to in emergency situations, such as incidents of sexual harassment or violence. Custodians also provide advice and support to students, acting as a "brother" or "motherly" figure. By doing so, they enhance the physical and mental well-being of students, contributing to their overall success.

Despite the importance of their work, custodians are often excluded from conversations about health and safety on campus. This exclusion reflects a broader culture of race- and class-based inequality, where custodial staff are seen as inferior due to their raced and classed positions. As a result, custodians' knowledge and expertise are often overlooked, and they are not given ample opportunities to inform administrative policies. This dynamic undermines the ability of custodians to engage in work that furthers the health and safety of the university community as a whole.

To address this issue, it is crucial to recognise the value and expertise of custodial staff. Students and staff should show appreciation for the work that custodians do, understanding that their efforts contribute significantly to the success and well-being of the entire campus community. Additionally, college administrators should interrogate structural racism and provide material and structural support for custodians, ensuring that they have adequate supplies, safe work conditions, and formal opportunities to inform policy. By valuing and respecting custodians, we can create a more inclusive and equitable environment for all members of the university community.

Custodians are essential to a university's functioning

A wide range of duties

Custodians perform a wide array of duties, from sweeping, mopping, vacuuming and buffing floors, to cleaning and sanitising bathrooms, restocking supplies, and maintaining equipment. They are responsible for keeping both indoor and outdoor areas safe and secure, which can include shovelling snow, removing debris, and directing traffic. They also play an important role in student well-being, looking out for students' health and safety, and often acting as a caring presence on campus.

Enhancing the student experience

Custodians frequently go beyond their job descriptions to support students and enhance their experience. They may offer advice and act as mentors, providing a listening ear and words of encouragement when needed. They can also help students feel connected to the university community, offering a friendly face and a different perspective from that of professors and lecturers.

Often underappreciated

Despite their important role, custodians are often underappreciated and undervalued by students and staff. Their work is often taken for granted, and they may feel that they are treated as 'invisible'. Students and staff can show their appreciation by simply saying 'thank you' or giving a friendly wave, acknowledging the hard work that custodians do to keep the university running.

Part of the educational community

Custodians are an integral part of the educational community, and their knowledge and experience should be recognised and respected. They often come from diverse backgrounds and can offer valuable insights and wisdom that can enhance the broader education of students. Including them in discussions about health and safety, for example, is essential to ensuring the well-being of the whole university community.

In conclusion, custodians play a vital role in the functioning of a university, and their contributions should be valued and recognised by all members of the university community.

Custodians are frequently treated with disrespect by students

University custodial staff are often treated with disrespect by students. Students frequently fail to recognise the value of custodial staff, who are essential to maintaining a clean and safe environment on campus. Students may take the work of custodians for granted, noticing them more when there is a mess than when they are successfully doing their jobs.

Students may also exhibit a sense of entitlement towards custodial services, expecting their messes to be cleaned up without taking responsibility for their own waste. This can lead to a lack of gratitude and appreciation for the hard work of custodial staff, who are often treated as invisible or less valuable than other campus employees. In some cases, students may even actively disrespect custodians, disregarding their presence or complaining about their work.

Additionally, custodians are often excluded from important conversations about health and safety on campus, reflecting a broader culture of race- and class-based inequality. This exclusion can have serious consequences for the health and safety of custodial staff, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, custodians may not be provided with adequate personal protective equipment or safe working conditions, further exacerbating the disrespect and disregard they experience from students and the institution as a whole.

The treatment of custodial staff as inferior or invisible is detrimental to the entire campus community. Students, staff, and faculty members should recognise the essential role that custodians play in creating a safe, clean, and supportive environment for everyone. By valuing the contributions of custodial staff and treating them with respect, universities can foster a more inclusive and equitable community for all.

Custodians are frequently overlooked by university management

The exclusion of custodial staff from decisions regarding health and safety on campus further highlights their marginalization. As the COVID-19 pandemic has shown, custodians are often at the front lines of maintaining a safe environment, yet their expertise and insights are often overlooked in favor of administrators, students, and faculty members. This exclusion reflects a broader culture of race- and class-based inequality, where custodians, often racialized and from lower socio-economic backgrounds, are subjected to disciplinary actions and health and safety protocols that sustain their place in a university caste system.

Despite their important contributions, custodians are frequently underappreciated and undervalued by university management. They are often not included in discussions about health and safety, their work is taken for granted, and they may face challenges in receiving fair compensation and treatment. However, it is important to recognize that custodians are more than just cleaners; they are mentors, advisors, and caregivers to students, playing a vital role in their educational success and well-being.

Universities should strive to recognize and value the contributions of custodial staff by including them in decision-making processes, providing fair wages and working conditions, and fostering a culture of respect and appreciation for their essential work. By doing so, universities can create a more inclusive and equitable community that benefits all members.

Custodians are often viewed as inferior by students and staff

Custodians are often racialised and classed as 'others', with their work being seen as menial and unskilled. This perception is not only incorrect but also harmful, as it perpetuates a caste system within universities that upholds institutional inequality. Custodians are sanitation professionals who ensure that educational facilities are clean and safe for all who use them. They are responsible for a wide range of tasks, from cleaning bathrooms and restocking supplies to repairing equipment and maintaining access to different rooms. Their work is physically demanding and often requires a high level of technical skill and knowledge.

Despite the essential nature of their work, custodians are often treated as invisible, with students and staff failing to recognise and appreciate their value. This can manifest in a lack of respect and gratitude, with students sometimes even deliberately creating messes with the expectation that custodians will clean them up. This sense of entitlement towards custodial staff is indicative of a deeper cultural problem that devalues the labour of those in service positions.

The exclusion of custodians from conversations about health and safety on campus further illustrates their perceived inferiority. In reality, custodians are often the first line of defence when it comes to protecting the health and safety of the university community. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, custodians were responsible for cleaning and sanitising high-touch surfaces and ensuring that health and safety protocols were followed. However, instead of being recognised for their crucial role, custodians have often been subjected to increased surveillance and inequitable enforcement of social distancing measures.

The perception of custodians as inferior is not only inaccurate and disrespectful but also detrimental to the functioning of universities. Custodians are essential members of the university community, and their knowledge, experience, and labour deserve to be valued and respected.

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