On Oct. 6, the Department of Community Living sent an email notifying the student population at Brandeis University of the upcoming health and safety inspections. The email emphasized the dates of the inspections, noting that all inspections will occur “between the hours of 9:00AM and 6:00PM from  October 10-October 25 (only Monday-Friday).” The inspection period, which spans over two weeks, seems unusually and unnecessarily long. This board proposes restructuring the inspection period in order to facilitate a more efficient process and alleviate some of the inconveniences that come with such a broad period. 

In stretching the inspections to over two weeks, DCL is pushing the limit in terms of the length of inspections. Consider that in past years, DCL notified specific quads that inspections would occur for them during a brief four-day window. Such a wide window can create major headaches for students who must ensure that their rooms and suites are clean for two full weeks and that they be alert at all times of the day in case DCL enters their room. Moreover, because DCL locks each room after inspections, students who do not carry their room keys around campus may be locked out of their rooms if they are unaware that inspections are occurring. The nuisance of DCL hanging over a student’s head can easily be rectified by delineating specific days for inspections. 

This board proposes that DCL give notice of inspections up to a month before they occur, giving students a general time period for inspections. As the deadline for that general timeline approaches, Community Advisors should notify their residents as to the specific dates that their quad will be inspected. This will allow those students to prepare for a shorter period, say four to five days, instead of a full two weeks. The same would go for the other quads on campus, allowing DCL to check all the residence halls in an efficient and convenient manner. 

Additionally, a shorter period is much more practical, both for DCL and the students. With a shorter period, DCL can announce inspections and then immediately focus its efforts on those quads that need inspections, rather than elongating the entire process. This will help move things on in an efficient manner and ensure that everything is dealt with in a timely fashion. As mentioned above, students would also benefit from a shorter period in that they will no longer need to preoccupy themselves for two weeks with needless worries about the DCL inspections. 

While it is courteous for DCL to notify the student population before inspections are conducted, the long waiting period has become more of a nuisance than a benefit. While DCL has had to deal with backlash in recent years due to lottery mishaps and other issues, this seems like a reasonable solution and an easy fix. This board recommends shortening the inspection period and, in doing so, simplifying the entire process for everyone involved.