Fix My Campus is working on multiple projects, such as bringing more food trucks to the on-campus dining line-up.
Created January 2013, the program is a subdivision of Duke Student Government that works to increase communication between students and DSG. The service allows students to send their suggestions and opinions via Facebook or text message to a designated phone number.
“I want to get food trucks on Central and or West as soon as humanly possible. If within the next two weeks is possible, then that’s what it’s going to be,” said sophomore Lavanya Sunder, DSG vice president for services and director of Fix My Campus.
Currently, Fix My Campus is working on a variety of projects that focus on waste. Many students have noticed that particular trashcans are overflowing, so Fix My Campus is working to redesign trash-pickup patterns and increase the number of trash cans on West Campus, Sunder noted.
Additionally, many students on Central Campus did not receive recycling bins this year. The bins need to be requested, and Fix My Campus is working to let students know how to do this.
Dining is another key issue on the Fix My Campus agenda, Sunder said. Students have submitted numerous dining suggestions—especially after construction has left the West Union closed for renovations—and Fix My Campus will forward these requests to Duke Dining Committee. The group is also working on creating more vegetarian dining options.
The team is also working with the Office of Information Technology to have Transloc, Duke’s bus-tracking app, displayed on the Bryan Center monitors. Sunder said that Fix My Campus is trying to accomplish this within the month. She added that another goal is to put signs on the Central bus stops to differentiate between eastbound and westbound buses.
Another goal for the year is improving communication between the Office of Parking and Transportation and students, Sunder said. Many students do not know where to park and as a result their cars are being towed.
The group is also working on changes in the Bryan Center—including installing blinds for the office meeting rooms, which would improve privacy for students and staff.
According to its Facebook page, last year, Fix My Campus met with Duke University Police Department and successfully improved lighting around campus and achieved an increased police presence. The team also paired with Durham Rescue Mission to donate leftover food from Au Bon Pain.
The Fix My Campus team meets weekly to discuss every idea that is submitted by students—aside from the occasional spam.
“A lot of people complained that DSG only focuses on internal issues and I don’t think that’s true…but there’s not really a two-way conversation between DSG and the students,” Sunder said.
The system often diverts requests to specific departments, mainly OIT and the Office of Housing, Dining and Residential Life, said project manager Betty Chen, a freshman. The team assesses long-term suggestions and assigns them to specific members of the Fix My Campus committee.
With the number of suggestions pouring in to the 10-member committee, there is a question of how much can be accomplished.
“It’s a great idea with a lot of potential, but making it a competition of proposals as only a few ideas get ‘selected,’ instead of a list of requests to administration, prevents greater improvement,” said sophomore Mayank Dubey.
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