Cleaning Policy & 90% Occupancy Standards
Cleaning Companies Chosen to Clean Fraternity Houses
In early February 2005, a committee made up of Lehigh staff and students evaluated five proposals submitted for fraternity cleaning contracts. The evaluation process, facilitated by Vince Elliott of Elliott Affiliates, used a process developed to consider proposed cleaning process, management expertise and relevant cleaning experience prior to revealing cost information.
The name of each bidder was not revealed to the group during the ranking process. Based on the evaluation and ranking process, two proposals were clearly superior to the other three submissions. Once the proposals were ranked, cost information was revealed. Three vendors were rejected due to low evaluation scores and costs variances. Thus the committee chose to award the cleaning contracts to One Source and Premair.
One Source and Premair have experience in cleaning multiple fraternities in Sayre Park and both submitted well-prepared proposals and were deemed capable of doing the required work.
Facilities Services believes that the presence of two vendors provides a Òback upÓ in case that if one vendor were to fail in their duties, the other would be able to step in and continue to meet our cleaning needs. Having two vendors also promotes a sense of competition which will drive each company to do better. Each company was awarded a three-year contract, with an option for two one-year extensions.
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One Source and Premair responsibilities (as stated in the building lease signed by the AHC and the university):
- Will clean hallways, stairwells, libraries, bathrooms, lobbies, computer rooms, living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens.
- Will clean individual bedrooms during the summer months.
- Cleaning service will NOT be provided in dining rooms and kitchens if the dishes, pots, pans and other items are not properly put away by students.
- If cleaning service is required due to carelessness, negligence or fault of the student(s), the Alumni House Corporation will pay for all costs and expenses for the work, along with the cost of repairing or replacing any personal property of any other resident or guest of the house.
Student responsibilities (as stated in the building lease signed by the AHC and the university):
- Will clean kitchen equipment, dishes, pots, pans, dining tables, counter tops, party/bar rooms and ritual rooms.
- Will clean and remove trash following social events.
- Will clean individual bedrooms during the academic year.
90% Occupancy Standard Implementation
Chapters that fail to meet the 90% occupancy standard for three consecutive semesters will be given a grace period opportunity during that third semester to recruit more live-in members before the beginning of the following semester (fall or spring). If by the last day of classes in the third failing semester, the organization can demonstrate that they will be able to meet the 90% occupancy threshold and have all those members committed to living in the facility for the following semester, they will be permitted to remain in the residential facility. If however, due to attrition between semesters (students withdraw, are academically dropped, etc.), the organization does not have the 90% required live-in members by the 10 th day of classes into the following semester, they will either not be permitted to move into the residential group housing facility, or will be required to immediately vacate the facility upon the 10 th day. The organization will then lose their group housing privileges.
Rationale:
We are removing the stipulation of failure to meet occupancy for four of five semesters, and only revoke group housing privileges from organizations if they fail Òthree consecutive semestersÓ. Failing for four out of five semesters spreads the standard over too long of a period (up to two and a half years) and can often lead to a great deal of confusion regarding where a chapter is in the process. This should be a more forgiving standard for organizations. Also, the addition of a grace period during the third failing semester, in effect, provides a group with four recruitment cycles to meet occupancy.
Details of the implementation of this policy as proposed are:
• A fraternity, sorority or special interest house must be occupied at 90% of its capacity. Failure to do so for three academic semesters in a row will result in the loss of privileges for an organization or a special interest group to reside in University group housing.
• When a chapter or special interest house has failed its third semester in a row to meet the 90% standard by the 10 th day of the semester, it will be provided with a final opportunity or grace period to recruit members/students during that semester (fall or spring) to commit to living in the house for the following semester. Students must be fully initiated members of a fraternity/sorority or sign an updated university housing lease by the dates prescribed during that semester (to be determined).
• Additionally, for organizations that have failed their third semester in a row and are in this grace period which gives them time to try to recruit new members, the chapter/organization must adhere to a behavioral contract designed to maintain appropriate health and safety standards and minimize building damage.
• No summer recruitment/new member education will be allowed.
• While a chapter may appear to have enough students interested to be at the 90% occupancy standard for the following (fourth) semester, there remains concerns that students may either be academically dropped or choose to transfer or withdraw in between semesters, potentially dropping the chapter below 90% at the beginning of the following (fourth) semester. Such a drop below 90% would result in the immediate loss of group housing. As a result, organizations in this situation are strongly encouraged to build in a ÒcushionÓ to protect them in case of drops, transfers or withdrawals in between semesters. It is recommended that such organizations get commitments from one or two members above the 90% capacity number to offset any attrition that may occur between semesters. If for any reason, prior to the first day of classes in the following (fourth) semester, a chapter drops below 90%, the group will not be permitted to move back into their house. If a fraternity or sorority loses group housing as a result of not meeting the occupancy standard, the organization may choose to remain as a recognized non-residential chapter.
• During the second consecutive semester a chapter fails occupancy and during the grace period/third failing semester, each member and their parents will receive written notification of the expectations for continued group occupancy, deadlines, and resulting consequences if the organization fails to meet the standard before the 10 th day of classes in the fourth semester.
• In the case of loss of group housing, sophomores must remain in the university housing system as space permits and will be informed about existing vacancies. Juniors and seniors will be allowed to request permission to be released from their on-campus lease to live off-campus. Decisions will be made by Residential Services based on a number of factors including residential system-wide vacancies.
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