When freshman history major Samantha Alexander first moved in to her Douglas dorm room, she found out her microwave was not working.

“We couldn’t open the door,” Alexander said. “I had to push the button really hard and my roommate tried pulling the door open, but we just couldn’t get it.”

Alexander and her roommate did not know what to do about the problem, but their CA told them to call the Work Request Office.

“They asked us what the problem was and told us that they should be able to come by within the week,” Alexander said. “We had to call back again, but then they came over and brought us a new microwave really quick.”

Many students, like Alexander, have had or are going to have problems with something on their floor or in their rooms. When they do, they should contact the Work Request Office, said Dave LaBanc, director of residential operations for Housing and Dining.

“The Work Request Office is the first point of contact for students and staff to submit repair requests for their room or public space,” LaBanc said.

When the student calls the Work Request Office, a staff member will ask them questions to try and identify the specific problem and what may be the cause, LaBanc said.

The Work Request Office does not actually do most of the repairs, they work with either the Physical Plant, Building Services or outside contractors to actually complete the work, LaBanc said. However, the Work Request Office does swap out broken MicroFridge units for students.

The requests will all be processed quickly, but non-emergency requests may take up to seven to 10 business days, LaBanc said.