Dollar for dollar, there is no expenditure more unavoidable for Ohio University than residence hall vandalism.
From stolen exit signs to water fountains ripped off walls, the university had to pay almost $96,000 in the 2011-12 school year to replace and repair stolen and damaged items across OU’s 40 residence halls, according to data provided by Facilities.
Oftentimes, vandalism or misuse of university property in the residence halls can stem from horseplay or accidents — though some offenses have more intentional motives.
“We hate when students (do) things that are crimes against other students,” said Peter Trentacoste, executive director of Residential Housing. “It wouldn’t be considered vandalism (at first), but sometimes acts of vandalism can be inspired by malice or hate.”
He added that since he started at OU in July, however, he has not seen many incidents of that nature cross his desk.
In the most recent act of severe vandalism on campus, about eight posters were set on fire in Tiffin Hall early Saturday morning, according to the Ohio University Police Department. OUPD has not yet received a damage estimate for the fires from Facilities, OUPD Chief Andrew Powers said.
The dorm with the most vandalism in 2011-12, dollar wise, was Bromley Hall, at $11,725.34, though it also has the most residents living there with 518 students, according to the data.
Johnson Hall on East Green had the least vandalism, totaling less than $50 but housing only 112 students, while O’Bleness House on South Green had the most vandalism per student living in the residence hall, at $27.50, housing 126 students.
Trentacoste said he believes there’s a direct correlation between how well OU takes care of a residence hall and, in turn, how well its residents take care of it — a point another OU official agrees with.
“We have experience that the nicer places will make people more proud to live in and (more likely to) take care of it,” said Ryan Lombardi, vice president for Student Affairs.
In order to deter students from vandalizing or misusing OU’s facilities, criminal punishments and, more commonly, fines are leveled against student offenders and occasionally entire floors, Trentacoste said.
“If it’s stolen property, it’s a criminal issue,” Trentacoste said. “(With) damage or destruction of property … there can be some criminal punishments. Restitution is one of the things that’s assigned, and then we work with our conduct folks to see if there’s some repercussions on the student status side as well.”
Despite the price tag of $95,872.57, vandalism costs account for .22 percent of Residential Housing’s revenue, which totaled $43,051,211 last school year, according to Facilities data.
OU officials say the Housing Master Plan is geared toward building modern buildings that students won’t even think to abuse.
“Anytime there’s vandalism in our campus community, it is an issue and … it affects us all,” Dean of Students Jenny Hall-Jones said. “We want to make sure the infrastructure creates (within the) community a sense of responsibility and respect for each other. We want to create that for (students) no matter where they live.”
dd195710@ohiou.edu
