Lori Meadows
University custodial staff play an essential role in maintaining a clean and pleasant environment for students and staff. They are responsible for cleaning common areas, taking out the trash, and maintaining the overall hygiene of campus facilities. While some students recognize the value of custodial staff and treat them with respect, others have been criticized for taking their services for granted and failing to show gratitude. Additionally, custodial staff, particularly those from marginalized communities, often face racial and social injustices, with health and safety protocols being used to uphold systems of inequality. Despite these challenges, custodians can play an educational role in the lives of students and foster meaningful interactions that contribute to their success.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Students should be more respectful | Students should recognize custodial staff as doing them a service by keeping their living and working environments clean |
| Students should recognize custodial staff as equal | Students should not feel entitled to the services of the custodial staff |
| Students should be cognizant of how their complaints about custodial staff might unintentionally get them reprimanded | Students should be patient with custodial staff and recognize that they have separate lives that might prevent them from fulfilling everything in their job description in one day |
| Students should not leave a mess with the expectation that custodial staff will clean up after them | Students should clean up after themselves |
| Students should not interfere with custodial staff's daily efforts to clean university spaces | |
| Students should listen to, recognize, and respect custodial staff's expertise | |
| Students should welcome custodial staff's efforts to keep the broader campus community safe | |
| Students should not challenge custodial staff's knowledge and experience |
Explore related products
$17.99
What You'll Learn
- Students should be more respectful and grateful
- University custodial staff experience racial and social injustice
- Students should recognise the educational role of custodians
- Students should be mindful of the health and safety of custodial staff
- Students should be considerate and clean up after themselves
Students should be more respectful and grateful
University custodial staff play an important role in maintaining a clean and pleasant environment for students and staff alike. They are responsible for a range of tasks, from cleaning student residences and common areas to raking leaves and patching roofs. While often overlooked, these workers are integral to the functioning of a university.
However, custodial staff often face issues with students who fail to recognise their hard work and the value they bring to the campus community. Students should be more respectful and grateful towards these staff members, understanding that they are providing a service by keeping their living and working spaces clean and sanitary. Students should not feel entitled to these services but instead show their appreciation, whether through a simple "thank you" or by being more proactive in keeping their spaces tidy.
Instances of students criticising custodial staff for not fulfilling their duties are common, yet students often create the messes in the first place and should take responsibility for cleaning them up. Students should also be mindful that custodial staff have their own lives and challenges, and may not always be able to complete every task in their job description each day. Showing patience and understanding is key, and students should avoid complaining about custodians to other staff members, as this could unintentionally lead to reprimands.
Furthermore, it is important to address the racial and social injustices that custodial staff of colour often experience on campuses. Students, staff, and faculty must work together to combat the systems of racism, classism, and xenophobia that impact the daily lives of these workers. Recognising and valuing the expertise and contributions of custodial staff is essential, and universities should provide adequate support and resources to ensure their health and safety.
In conclusion, students should strive to be more respectful and grateful towards university custodial staff by acknowledging their hard work and the value they bring to the campus community. Showing gratitude, being mindful of their own messes, and advocating for the fair treatment of these workers are all ways that students can contribute to a more positive and inclusive university environment.
Exploring Wichita State: Meeting International Students
You may want to see also
Explore related products
University custodial staff experience racial and social injustice
During the COVID-19 pandemic, racial disparities were amplified, with universities' health and safety efforts serving to protect institutional inequality rather than individuals. Universities' responses to the pandemic may have increased inequitable enforcement of social distancing, creating more segregation and reinforcing practices that punish custodians for working within inequitable labor systems. For instance, groundskeepers and custodians at Kentucky did not receive hazard pay during the pandemic, nor were they offered testing by the university.
Black workers at universities are among the most vulnerable people on campuses, yet they are often left out of conversations about racial justice. A study conducted in 2017 and 2018 focused on Latinx immigrant men who worked as second-shift custodians at a predominantly white public research university. The study found that administrators, students, and faculty members used health and safety protocols as a disciplinary tool to maintain race- and class-based hierarchies within the university. One participant, Jesus, reported receiving glares from a student when he tried to prevent her from disposing of hazardous materials unsafely. Another participant, Henry, was a trained electrician in Cuba but had been working for the university since moving to the United States as an adult.
The majority of custodians at Mizzou are Black and Latino, and they are the lowest-paid workers. At Kentucky, a custodian named Moore described a culture of favoritism and disrespect, where janitors are not provided with air conditioning during the summer heat until administrators arrive. His coworkers, who are Congolese refugees, are particularly belittled and talked down to by supervisors.
To address these injustices, all members of college and university communities must continuously interrogate their behavior and challenge the interlocking systems of racism, classism, and xenophobia that impact the daily lives of custodians of color. Students can play a role in this by recognizing the service that custodial staff provide in keeping their working and living environments clean and treating them with respect and gratitude.
International Students Thriving at Alfred University
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Students should recognise the educational role of custodians
Custodians interact with students daily and can offer valuable wisdom and life experiences that books and professors cannot provide. They come from diverse backgrounds and can share unique perspectives, as seen in the example of a beverage server who offered insights about Guyana during pedagogy sessions. By recognising the educational contributions of custodians, students can benefit from their knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of the world.
Additionally, custodians often face racial and social injustices due to systemic racism and classism within universities. Students should be aware of these inequalities and actively challenge them. This includes respecting custodians' expertise and valuing their efforts to maintain a safe campus community. Students should also be mindful of their own behaviours, such as cleaning up after themselves and not creating messes that perpetuate stereotypes of custodians as mere cleaners.
Furthermore, students should acknowledge that custodians have their own lives and challenges. Showing empathy and patience towards custodial staff is essential, just as students expect understanding from professors when they make mistakes. A simple ""thank you" or wave can go a long way in making custodians feel valued and appreciated.
In conclusion, students should recognise the educational role of custodians by valuing their knowledge, respecting their expertise, and understanding their lives beyond their job descriptions. By doing so, students can foster a more inclusive and supportive campus community that combats inequalities and appreciates the diverse contributions of all its members.
Strayer University and Student Loan Forgiveness Eligibility
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Students should be mindful of the health and safety of custodial staff
However, it is important to recognize that custodial staff are often overworked and underappreciated. Students should understand that the health and safety of custodial staff are just as important as their own. This means being considerate and not creating unnecessary messes or leaving hazardous materials for custodians to clean up. Students should take responsibility for their own trash and messes, as expecting custodians to clean up after them is a form of disrespect and entitlement. By being mindful of their own messes, students can help reduce the workload of custodial staff and show their appreciation for their hard work.
Additionally, students should be aware of the racial and social injustices that custodial staff often face. It is not uncommon for people on campus to question or challenge the knowledge and expertise of custodians, perpetuating systems of racism, classism, and xenophobia. Students should recognize the value and dignity of custodial work and treat custodial staff with respect and gratitude. A simple "thank you" or wave can go a long way in making custodians feel valued and appreciated.
Furthermore, students should be mindful of the separate lives that custodial workers have outside of their jobs. Just as students expect professors to understand their mistakes and shortcomings, they should also extend the same patience and understanding to custodial staff. Recognizing that custodians have their own lives and responsibilities can help foster a culture of empathy and mutual respect on campus.
Overall, students play a crucial role in supporting the health and safety of custodial staff. By being mindful of their messes, respectful of their expertise, and grateful for their service, students can help create a more positive and inclusive campus environment for everyone.
Admissions at Western Washington University: A Quarterly Overview
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Students should be considerate and clean up after themselves
University custodial staff play a crucial role in maintaining a clean and pleasant environment for students. They are responsible for various tasks, including cleaning common areas, taking out the trash, and maintaining student spaces. While it is the job of custodial staff to ensure good hygiene, students also have a responsibility to be considerate and clean up after themselves.
Students should recognize that custodial staff provide an essential service by keeping their living and working spaces clean and sanitary. It is important for students to understand that creating a mess and expecting others to clean up after them is a sign of disrespect to the custodial staff. Students should be proactive in maintaining the cleanliness of their spaces and not rely solely on the custodial staff to do so. This includes simple tasks such as picking up trash, wiping up spills, and disposing of hazardous materials safely. By taking responsibility for their own messes, students can show their appreciation for the hard work of the custodial staff.
Additionally, students should be mindful of the fact that custodial staff members have their own lives and challenges. Showing patience and understanding when custodial staff are unable to fulfill all their duties in a single day is important. Students should avoid complaining about the custodial staff to other staff members as this may unintentionally lead to reprimands. Instead, they should offer gratitude and treat custodial staff with respect, recognizing that their work is valuable and contributes to the overall well-being of the university community.
Respecting custodial staff means recognizing their expertise and valuing their contributions. Students should listen to and welcome the efforts of custodial staff to keep the campus safe and healthy. This includes following their instructions and guidelines, especially regarding health and safety protocols. By working together and showing mutual respect, students and custodial staff can create a positive and harmonious university environment.
In conclusion, students play a vital role in maintaining a clean and respectful university environment. By being considerate and cleaning up after themselves, students can show their appreciation for the hard work of custodial staff. This simple act of consideration goes a long way in fostering a positive and supportive community on campus.
UF's Commitment to Student Success and Well-being
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
University custodial staff have varying feelings towards students. Some staff feel that students are entitled and do not care about making a mess, while others feel appreciated and respected by students. Overall, staff members feel that students should be more proactive in keeping their spaces clean and sanitary.
Some university custodial staff have reported negative interactions with students, including students leaving messes for them to clean up, interfering with their cleaning efforts, and questioning their knowledge and experience. Some staff have also observed that students seem oblivious to their own messes and have had to deal with hazardous materials disposed of unsafely by students.
Students can improve their interactions with university custodial staff by showing gratitude and respect, recognizing the value of their work, and being proactive in keeping their spaces clean. Students should also be patient and understanding towards staff and avoid complaining about them to other staff members.
The treatment of university custodial staff reflects broader issues of racial and social injustice, with staff of colour experiencing racism, classism, and xenophobia. Excluding custodial staff from discussions about health and safety on campus further perpetuates these inequalities. It is important for universities to address these issues and provide support and recognition to custodial staff.
