Campus Council and Residential Life and Housing Services officials discussed damages to living space at the Council's general body meeting Thursday night.
Campus Council President Jay Ganatra, a junior, invited Deb Lo Biondo, assistant dean for residence life on West Campus, to inform members of policies about common room damages on West Campus.
Lo Biondo explained that when a group of students can be identified as culprits for damages, they will be required to pay restitution fees. A majority of damages, however, are not attributed to anyone.
She noted that there has been a decrease in damage costs compared to last year, but restitution fees collected have increased this year.
Eddie Hull, executive director of housing services and dean of residence life, said he does not budget damages into RLHS's expenses. If such costs were budgeted into housing fees, fees would increase and have a direct effect on financial aid, he added.
"I choose to treat students as adults and give them the benefit of the doubt," Hull said. "If I treat them as children then I will start budgeting damages, and I won't."
Both Lo Biondo and Hull believe the real problem is not expenditures but student behavior.
"What we are really concerned about are the behaviors that instigated these damages," Lo Biondo said. "There is a blatant lack of respect by some to public property."
Selective living spaces sustain an overwhelming majority of damages, she noted.
In other business:
Ganatra raised concerns about sponsoring the Old Duke party, scheduled for Friday afternoon, in light of recent allegations against the men's lacrosse team.
Members unanimously decided to carry out the event as scheduled, saying the party can act as an opportunity to resume normal campus life and is a chance for students to demonstrate their ability to act responsibly in the presence of alcohol.
"Students can get together and unwind," said sophomore Hasnain Zaidi, at-large representative. "It's been a tough week. They can let off steam in a responsible fashion."
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