Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

OCAF Brings Stress and Expense to Space Reservation Process

The Office of Campus Activities Facilities’ stated intent is to support student organizations, yet it seems to do anything but that. This branch of Georgetown bureaucracy is meant to facilitate event planning by providing a means for reserving space, but it leaves frustrated student leaders questioning the system itself.

Leaders of student groups frequently encounter delays when dealing with the office. Requests for reservations take at least a few days — and sometimes up to a week — to process. The reason for the backup is that the confirmation process has eight different stages, some of which entail multiple steps. This lag time hinders the planning process of student groups. Background information is important for confirmation purposes, but the number of hoops students have to jump through becomes excessive.

Instead of leaving students in limbo, OCAF should fully automate the reservation system so that requests are confirmed immediately. Even under an automated system OCAF could reserve the right to retract reservations within 48 hours if a conflict with OCAF or university policies and standards exists.

In an attempt to make the Internet-based booking process more efficient, OCAF recently assigned student groups login IDs and passwords. Unfortunately, many groups were not clearly informed of their access information after the switch, leaving them to hunt for their details before being able to place reservations. OCAF could have easily avoided this confusion by relaying the details more openly.

The root of all of these issues is that OCAF behaves as if it were detached from the student community. Its mission statement, for example, establishes a sense of distance from the students and academic departments that seek its support by referring to them as “clients.” Moreover, there seems to be no outlet for student feedback. Groups frustrated by OCAF’s ineptitude are forced to work around the system’s shortcomings. If OCAF refuses to make major changes to its system, it should at least establish a method for lodging formal complaints.

OCAF operates like an independent business, charging its customers for the use of chairs, tables, common spaces and even tablecloths. Adding to the clumsiness, it neglects to list costs on its website, which catches many event planners by surprise. OCAF’s lack of transparency is an enormous problem, especially for smaller organizations with tight budgets. Students shouldn’t have to pay for spaces on campus, and they especially shouldn’t have to pay for the furniture in those spaces.

OCAF’s reservation system is too inefficient, too costly, too impersonal and too confusing. Fortunately, making just a few key changes could ensure student events run more smoothly and make their leaders much happier.

To send a letter to the editor on a recent campus issue or Hoya story or a viewpoint on any topic, contact [email protected]. Letters should not exceed 300 words, and viewpoints should be between 600 to 800 words.

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