TO:

FROM:
DATE:
RE:

Robby Patterson, Housing Director

Colby Sorensen
October 20, 2015
Proposal to require all on campus dorms provide air conditioning

I propose that Neilson and Knudsen Halls at Grand View University should have air conditioning
installed in every room. The hot summer and fall temperatures are a burden for new college
students to endure during the toughest transition of their lives.
Present System
The current air conditioning situation in Neilson and Knudsen is not beneficial for the warmer
months. Every other on campus housing option has an air conditioning unit. You are aware that
there are a total of six housing options on campus that include: Hull Apartments, Hull Suites,
Langrock Suites, L Apartments, Neilson, and Knudsen Dormitories. I have read online that the L
and Hull Apartments are for upperclassmen; Langrock is available for anyone, but primarily
freshmen and sophomores; the Hull Suites are for sophomores, and then the two dormitories are
for freshmen and some upperclassmen that have a room to themselves. Applying for housing is
done after acceptance to Grand View and the earlier that we are accepted the better off we are.
There is a high demand for the nicer housing options on campus.
Problems with the Present System
The current lack of air conditioners works great for the months of the year that do not require the
units to be running, but we all know that the late summer and early fall months can get quite hot
and humid. Temperatures can easily be in the 80s and can creep into the lower and even upper
90s. Not only are air conditioning units not provided for the dorms, students are not even
allowed to bring their own units.
Additionally, the freshmen that are fortunate enough to live in the Langrock Suites get the luxury
of air conditioning for only a $500 increase in room and board costs. Not having air conditioning
can greatly affect the sleep patterns of students during nights when the rooms are unbearably hot.
Bad sleep habits and patterns can affect students in the classroom. Not being well rested can
cause students to drift off and lose focus much easier than a student who has comfortable sleep
patterns. Many of the students on campus are also athletes and their athletic performance can be
hindered by poor sleeping conditions and a lack of sufficient sleep.
I lived in non-air conditioned dorms this past summer from June 1st until July 31st, and there
were nights that I did not fall asleep until two or three in the morning. I had to soak a towel in
cold water to put across my body just to fall asleep. It was not possible for me to cool the room
down enough to be comfortable. I would wake up in my own sweat some mornings. After talking
to some of my teammates about their experiences with living in the dorms as freshmen they said
they had the same problems.

Proposed Solution
I propose to solve the air conditioning situation by installing convenient window units in each
dorm room. This will offer students a more comfortable living space during the hot summer and
fall months. Another option is to let students bring their own air conditioning units as long as
they do not exceed a certain size. We are limited to the size of the fridge we can bring to campus
so the same rule can apply here to air conditioners. If it cannot fit in the window it should not be
allowed.

Research

UC Berkley News The undergrad lowdown Cathy Cockrell

I have talked to students that have lived in the dorms and they say there have been nights that
they have woke up sweating. They also do not sleep as well and have trouble falling asleep at a
good time so they dont get adequate sleep each night. There is a noticeable different in grade
point averages between those who get under five hours of sleep and more than seven hours of
sleep. Students grade point averages can suffer if they are not getting adequate sleep in
comfortable conditions.
Necessary Resources
To air condition the dorms the resources required will be a unit that fits the windows in each of
the rooms for the Neilson and Knudsen buildings. There are many different types of units that
can be purchased at an affordable cost.
Costs
It will take time to install these so there will be labor costs, but the units can be simply plugged
into the wall. As long as the units fit well in the window it would not be much more complex
than that.

Obviously, the units are going to increase the electrical bill, but instead of numerous fans
plugged in there will be one air conditioning unit. To counter for the potential spike in electrical
bills, a slight increase in room and board would quickly cover for that. Like I said earlier,
Langrock residents pay about $500 dollars more for the air conditioning and shared living space
so an increase of approximately $200-300 could combat the new installation of air conditioning.
Completion Schedule
This task could be completed during the summer of 2016 before the fall semester. Air
conditioning will probably not be needed in the spring semester and putting in the air
conditioning before the fall semester of 2016 is plenty of time to get all of the dorms situated
with air conditioning units.
Reasoning
All students on campus should have the same opportunity to live in a room that benefits their
sleep habits because we know the effect of sleep on academic and athletic performance. Athletes
are more prone to injury if they lack adequate sleep. There are approximately 800 athletes on
campus and there is an emphasis on peak athletic performance along with peak academic
performance. Getting eight hours of adequate sleep at night will help student-athletes reach their
goals in the class and in competition.
There are approximately 250 students living in these dorms. That is a significant number of
students that are potentially suffering from uncomfortable sleeping and studying conditions.
There is pride taken in the success of students-athletes at this university and providing
transitioning freshmen with air conditioning will benefit their well-being and success.

Struggling to Sleep may lead to Struggles with Injury and Peformance - Chris Koutures

Conclusion
It would benefit the well-being and success of each student living in the dorms if air conditioning
were installed or permitted to be brought from home. College students are always on the go so
the time they get to spend relaxing and sleeping at night is vital to the success of the next day
ahead of them.