Present: Bolu, Ciel, Dave, Devon, Eliza, Honoka, Kate, Maria, Mustafa, Timothy
Regrets: Andrea, Eddie, Ishika, Kevin, Klara

Terms of Reference

• Reviewed

Residence Life Updates

• Common Spaces Overview
  • COVID restrictions still in place for our common areas
  • Please note that the way that Public Health views residences/postsecondary institutions is different than the average space
    • Chestnut Residence does not make these decisions themselves
    • Following Public Health guidelines with the support of EHS (Environmental Health and Safety – UofT Department)
• Currently Open
  • Urban Lounge: Max. Capacity: 25
  • 28th Study Room: Max. Capacity: 25
  • Study Rooms (3): Max. Capacity: 2
  • Wellness Room: Max. Capacity: 2
  • Music Rooms (5): Max. Capacity: 2
  • Gym: Max. Capacity: 6
  • Fitness Studio: Max. Capacity: 2
• Currently Closed
  • 27th Floor
    • Working with Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) to open this space as soon as possible
    • Unfortunately, as the space is in the shape of a donut, it is not possible to open the full space (it would be impossible for students to visually track capacity when entering the space)
    • Hopefully will open part of the 27th floor within the coming weeks
• Visitor Policy has recently been updated (previously no guests allowed)
  • Currently allowing students to have 1 guest visit at a time. Guests must live in another UofT residence.
    • Planned future stages of policy
      • 1) Anyone from UofT Community
      • 2) Anyone
  • Vaccination verification: for all stages, people will need to be vaccinated or enrolled in a rapid testing program due to an approved exemption
• Waste Water testing (organic waste water is testing 1 or 2 times per week)
  • https://ehs.utoronto.ca/covid-19-wastewater-program-at-large-u-of-tresidences/
  • If test is positive, we contact all guests/contractors/students/staff/etc. to let them know to get tested as a precautionary measure

Administrative & Finance Updates

• Working on the budget for 2022-23
• Upcoming Operations Projects
  • Replacing hallway carpets – 3 floors remaining (will be completed this winter break)
  • PTAC units (heating and cooling units) have been shipped and should be arriving this month, no set arrival date yet (original arrival date: May 2021)
  • Working on replacing drapery in rooms (have finished two floors so far and will continue to work on this throughout this year and in the coming years)
  • Looking at updating bathrooms for upcoming years, in the planning stages now
    • Schedule has not been confirmed yet
    • Will look at many factors to determine schedule, including: occupancy rates and reviewing work orders to identify the rooms where it is needed the most

Food Services Updates

• Increased seating capacity in the Dining Hall
  • No longer need to seat 2 or 4 to table – can now sit in long harvest table
• Birthday Cake celebrating monthly
• Special Days
  • World Pasta Day
  • Thanksgiving Menu
  • Diwali Treats
  • World Kindness Day
  • French Toast Day
  • December Holiday Themed Dinner
  • Exam Jam Themed Events
• Eco-2-Go program
  • Please return any containers in room
    • Are running low on containers
    • All returned containers will be washed, sanitized and put up again
• Dining Hall Committee
  • No volunteers from first year students
  • Looking into creative solutions to increase participation
• Mobile App
• Working to launch as soon as possible (have experienced a number of delays related to contractors)

Housekeeping Updates

• Laundry Room machines with display errors are back online
• Still a number of machines out of order due to leaks

Urban Crew Updates

• Schedule Confirmed
• Recent programming
  • Halloween Movie Night
  • Costume Prizes
  • Pumpkin Carving
  • Reading Week Movie Night
• Mask Wearing Issues
  • More and more people are feeling more frustrated/resentful of mask-wearing policies (attitude has shifted from previous years)
  • Average Urban Crew shift: 5+ people/shift who need multiple reminders to put mask back on
  • Suggestion: Automated reminders intermittently – Please Wear Your Mask (similar to how one would hear at a store such as Wal-Mart)

Residence Council Updates (Bolu)

• VP, Internal Chestnut Residence Council
  • Day to Day workings
  • Bring issues forward to council
  • Collectively work on implementing events to overall improve residence and culture
• Still electing officials onto council
• Planning to meet this evening

Student Updates

Kate

• Academic Mentors ‘
• Time Management workshop recently – low turnout
• Study Session tonight

Laundry Discussion

Room for Improvement

• People don’t take their things out in a timely manner
• Piles of clothes sitting around on top of laundry bins and table behind us
• ½ of the machines were tapped with Out of Order signs
• Lines can happen during busier hours

Feedback on Potential Features:

• The ability to see which machines are available either through a web page or app;
  • Very positive responses
• The ability to be notified by text when a machine is free;
  • Not very helpful
• The ability to be notified by text when your load of laundry is almost done
  • Could be helpful, but not critical
  • Already set an alarm on their phone
  • Might be helpful as a reminder to folks who forget their stuff there
• The ability to load a vendor specific laundry card in the laundry room, by cash or credit card
  • Currently used
  • Would like to have a poster with clear steps on how to use the machine to reload the card
• The ability to load a vendor specific laundry card online
  • Better than in-person – would like both
  • Easier to load online
• Preference for using one’s TCard vs a vendor specific card for payment
  • T-Card would be very useful!
• Ability to purchase supplies like detergent, etc., from a vending machine or other means;
  • Depends, could be helpful
  • Would need to be consistently available and affordable
• Any other enhancements to the room – e.g. folding tables
  • Sock Lost and Found
  • Need repair for some of the current chairs – don’t feel sturdy
• Any suggestions for other features in washers or dryers, means of payment, etc.
  • None suggested

Additional Comments

• Dining Hall Related
  • Suggestion: partnerships with other restaurants? Use your T-Card at other locations (i.e. purchase Bubble Tea with your T-Card)
  • Pan Station concerns create long lines, doesn’t flow well
    • Suggestion: ensure ordering from the pan station is available on the Mobile App
    • Suggestion to make use of both pan stations on weekends as well – could help
  • Hard to communicate, lots of background sounds
    • Suggestion: microphone to better communicate with staff
  • Food has to be passed over the ingredients under the Plexiglass and is awkward to receive
• IT Related
  • Could we have one laptop that could be logged out for staff? Yes there are laptops available from the RLO