A cut of more than $700,000 from the residence halls’ facilities operating budget has left some students debating the importance of cost versus quality of service.

Kate Bruns, communications specialist for the Department of Residence, said last spring the facilities side of residence halls cut $750,000 from its budget. Facilities operating costs include salary, wages and the cost of operating materials.

These budget cuts are part of a strategy to reduce base operating costs for the department, Randy Alexander, director of the Department of Residence, told the Daily via e-mail.

“We felt that if we were going to ask students, through higher room and board rates, to support the plan, we also needed to do everything we could to improve efficiencies and eliminate unnecessary costs,” Alexander said.

The goal of the program was to identify reductions in the budget that would have the least impact on services to residents and to avoid layoffs, he said. Only two employees were let go, and the other positions eliminated were previously vacant.

Students said they are glad to see unnecessary costs eliminated, but not at the expense of quality service.

Ryan Sletten, resident of Knapp House in Friley Hall, is upset with the level of service in his residence hall. He said during the summer, his residence hall received a lot of traffic, and the floor’s carpet is in desperate need of cleaning.

Sletten, sophomore in political science, said he has called maintenance several times. Each time he calls, he said they tell him the carpet will be taken care of in two weeks.

When Sletten calls back in two weeks, he said they tell him it will take two more weeks. The carpets have yet to be cleaned.

“The reason there is maintenance is to help students do things they can’t do on their own,” he said. “Cutbacks in the budget tell us our problems aren’t important.”

Darryl Knight, associate director of residence halls, said the goal of the department is to complete every work order within a two-week time span.

Last year at this time, 75 percent of work orders submitted since the first day of classes were completed.

This year, that percentage has dropped to 73 percent, Knight said.

Patrick McDaniel, resident assistant for Lommen House in Willow Hall and junior in journalism and mass communication, said there are fewer resources available with the same amount, if not more, of work to be done.

“[The situation] makes me think, ‘What is more important? Random buildings going up on campus, or the upholding of existing buildings where people are living?’ “