Housing Facilities Assistant (HFA) Program

Overview

HFA student staff members play an important role in supporting student community development, providing general support & customer service to UR residents, performing a wide variety of administrative duties (processing building access credentials, database updates, varying audits, sustainability initiatives), and special projects focused on supporting residential communities while also intentionally developing student staff skill sets. HFAs also work closely with UR Residence Life staff to promote an environment where residents feel supported and safe to engage in student development and learning through University Residences Initiative for Student Engagement (URISE). By ensuring that public and private living spaces residents occupy are well maintained, students can focus on maximizing their academic success and social/personal growth experiences while at WWU.

Areas of Support

Student employment opportunities are available in five (5) focus areas within this program designed to provide support to UR residential communities while also offering HFA students a wide variety of work opportunities aimed at preparing for future employment after they leave WWU.

  • Customer Service: Provide focused support of assigned UR communities ensuring that maintenance requests submitted by residents are processed in a timely manner, conducting outreach actions as needed, and providing sustained client advocacy efforts that maximize customer service.
  • Community Engagement: Provide residents in-person, facilities-focused support within each community and attend varying meetings (Hall Staff, Hall Counsel, and Residence Hall Association).
  • Building Focus: Review detailed building audit reports, determine if adverse trends need attention, and work with UR management to ensure issues are resolved in a timely manner.
  • Student Feedback: Solicit resident input and participate in focus groups supporting facilities projects.

  • Building Access Credentials: Assist with credential audits (work/take home/vendor rings, electronic access fobs & cards, brass keys), electronic key box system, and related database updates.
  • Office Help: Assist with resident damage billing, create maintenance requests/generate work order backlog reports, review/analyze maintenance backlog provide recurring aging reports to engagement assist with clerical duties (office supply, filing, mail distribution, meeting support).
  • Lockout Support: Provide resident lockout service.

  • Education & Awareness: Collaborate with campus partners to develop and/or execute presentations, training, engagement efforts, communications (monthly newsletters, e-mails) promoting Sustainable Living within residential communities.
  • Solid Waste Audits: Perform external (trash, composting, recycling dumpsters/toters) and internal (public space sorting stations, community bathroom/public restroom bins) inspections to assess pickup schedule optimization, contamination, and other items of interest.
  • Resident Checkout Program (RCP): Provide logistical (cycle count, condition assessment, storage optimization) and administrative (order fulfillment, database updates, advertising, usage analysis) support for short term and  long term(Residence Hall Reuse).

  • Building Inspections: Perform detailed inspections (public amenities, entry points/pathways, community bathrooms/kitchens, restrooms) focusing on safety, appearance, functionality, and cleanliness.
  • Asset Audits: Perform cycle counts & condition assessments during the academic year and/or summer period on specified assets (furniture, appliances, gaming/music/media equipment, art, other).
  • Vacant Space Readiness: Perform housing checkout inspections and Health safety check inspections as directed. Inspect vacant spaces to ensure they are cleaned and ready for new occupant.

  • Transport: Assist in loading & unloading vehicles, process items for transport (pack, crate, prepare, label, obtain receipts), perform other required tasks (unpack, check assemble, store items) as needed.
  • Warehouse: Assist with central warehouse and/or remote storage space inventory actions.
  • Furniture Projects: Assist with relocating, and/or assembling/dismantling, furniture as needed, and installing/adjusting furniture as needed.

Community Engagement

  1. Residence Life Hall Staff Meeting
    • Attend RD meeting at the beginning of the quarter and one staff meeting at the end of the quarter.
  2. Hall Council Meeting
    • Attend twice per quarter
  3. Residence Hall Association(RHA) General Meeting
    • Attend twice per quarter
  4. Community Desk Weekly Presence
    • See matrix shown below

Desk Presence (5:00 pm - 6:30 pm)

Community Desk Location Date
Mathes Main lounge 02/06
Nash Front entrance hallway 02/08
Edens-Higginson EH front hallway above front desk 02/13
Ridgeway Across from ridge commons dining hall entrance 02/15 and 03/06
Fairhaven Fairhaven lounge across from front desk 02/22
Buchanan Towers Front hallway across from front desk 02/27
Birnam Wood Community Building (Main lounge) 03/01

Maintenance Requests

Emergency facilities issues should be reported to Facilities Development and Operations(FDO) customer service center (360-650-3420) during normal business hours (weekdays 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. excluding holidays). Otherwise, contact University Police Department (UPD) dispatch at 360-650-3555.

All other maintenance requests should be entered in ReADY.

Questions?

If you have any questions, email us at URFacilities@wwu.edu or contact us at 360-650-3556.