BED BUGS
Is SFA CTU planning to start taking action against bed bugs?
SFA CTU is using all available means to take action against bed bugs. Our activities in this regard are inspected by Prague’s Public Health Authority (hygienická stanice), and we consult the National Institute of Public Health (SZÚ) on our procedures. Neither has the CTU Academic Senate, which has long focused on the situation at dormitories, found any systematic failures in our actions on bed bugs.
Does the SFA CUT, National Institute of Public Health and EKOSAN “working group” include a student representative? Why not?
At the moment this working group does not include a student representative, but there is nothing to stop a student from coming forward and taking part.
There is a manual for employee procedures: when steps are taken, what products are used, clearly defined deadlines for spraying from the time of reporting. Is this available for accommodated persons to see?
Students have access to procedures in the event of a bed bug infestation being discovered in rooms, or if an infestation is suspected.
Why do you wait at least a week for rooms to be sprayed? This approach is surely irresponsible and inconsiderate of residents.
There is no stipulation that it should be left a week for rooms to be sprayed. Times also depend on the availability of the disinfestation company. It is important to realise that spraying accommodation does not resolve the bed bug problem as soon as it is completed. We cannot discuss eliminating bed bugs without a basic knowledge of the facts about bed bug occurrence. We consistently do our utmost to inform residents of this information, but this information is also easy to find and verify on the internet.
In absolute numbers, how many rooms are currently infested? How many have had 1, 2, … n sprayings? How has the situation developed over the last (half) year? You must have graphs.
We are not publishing the statistics which EKOSAN and SFA CUT hold. A deeper knowledge of the problem and related circumstances is essential in order to evaluate and interpret these.
How is it possible that bed bug nest checks have been made on beds without our knowing about it?
Checks YES, but the student must be informed that an outside person has entered their room. (modified from respondent).
Room checks always take place after prior notification, and the vast majority occur in the presence of the accommodated students. Employees may only be required to enter a room without the residents being there in exceptional circumstances, and always in pairs. Unfortunately, residents play a significant role in bed bug problems by not reporting occurrences. This means it is essential to make these checks.
KITCHEN RENOVATIONS
Why are the hobs with 4 hot plates replaced by hobs with 2 hotplates such that two pots can’t be placed next to each other? Why are cooking options limited (hobs, ovens)? Will we get ovens again? When the Bubeneč Dormitory was renovated, the cookers remained.
Cookers with an oven will not currently be returning to kitchens at Strahov. In our opinion, these kitchens do not currently have the suitable technical and construction features for full cooking (missing or non-functional air conditioning). We do want to see this change in future, however. Until then, we see the kitchens more as for making tea and coffee. Kitchens at Bubeneč Dormitory featured fully functional air conditions following renovation, and its ovens come with functional extractor hoods.
We have fitted double hot plate hobs for financial reasons. Unfortunately, residents have been treating kitchen facilities such that the lifetime of hobs is approx. 2 months.
It’s said that you’ve taken out our ovens so that students visit the canteens more. Is this step the improvement which led you to increase accommodation prices last year by 40 %?
We are grateful for every diner in our canteen, and we welcome every student to the canteen with a smile. We are not putting cookers with an oven into the kitchens at Strahov for technical reasons. At the current time, we do not believe that the kitchens here have the suitable technical and construction features for full cooking (missing or non-functional air conditioning). We do want to see this change in future, however. Until then, we see the kitchens more as for making tea and coffee.
Why has a new countertop been left by the wall in a crumbling kitchen without a cooker for almost 5 months?
Without telling us which specific kitchen you are referring to, we cannot answer this. In general, SFA employees are not instructed to do this.
Why do you not support the maintenance and cleaning of traditional ovens at Podolí dormitories? A lot of people would like to use these and it isn’t an issue at Strahov.
According to our information, there are currently three ovens at Podolí Dormitory, which are at the end of their lives. New kitchens of the sort at Strahov Dormitory will not be fitted for the same reasons (see above). All residents should take note that after cooking, they should clean and tidy kitchen appliances themselves, something which is a persistent problem at all CTU dormitories.
Why is there no space for a fridge in rooms in Block 11 following renovations? Did anybody involved in the renovation think about who would want to live there?
The first two model rooms which were fitted out in Block 11 did not have spaces for a fridge. This was one of the suggestions for improvement, and as such subsequent rooms will incorporate space for a fridge.
What are the reasons for closing the restaurant at Strahov? Why not write that “such and such broke down, we are working to repair this,” instead of “for technical reasons”?
We were unable to open the restaurant at Strahov canteen because the flooring company which was to replace the flooring did a poor job, and the floor had to be relayed. For the restaurant operators, these are simply technical reasons.
BLOCK 4 RENOVATION
Why did you close B4 before the holidays with students having to find accommodation quickly when nothing was done on the block the entire summer?
The decision to undertake full dormitory repairs such that residents had to move out was made at the last moment due to the necessity for the complete repair of sanitary facilities. Block 4 had originally been meant to be closed over the summer. An exception was granted because of the desires of the accommodated active student body members. The exceptions we granted will no longer be made after our experience. We began preparatory work in summer. Unfortunately, there was a delay during the supplier selection procedure.
How is Block 4 renovation going, and when can we currently expect it to be completed? I still haven’t seen anybody working there.
Work on renovation of the sanitary facilities and room improvements began in September. Work will be undertaken in stages. The speed of work will depend on the finances available to SFA CTU. We would like to open the block again during the course of the summer semester.
Energy is expensive: why were the lights still on in corridors and bathrooms in the vacated Block 4 for another three weeks after it was closed?
The janitor is required to check lights on his regular rounds: there may have been an error in this regard. We were informed of the lights being on shortly after the block was vacated. The economic manager was asked to instruct the janitors who remain in the block in this regard. We did not receive any further complaints in this regard, and we have not seen this problem again.
Why was the janitor present in Block 4 over the summer? If it needed to be opened, this could have been performed by the janitor in Block 3, for example.
The janitor was and still is in Block 4 because the block has not been handed over to any company as a construction site. It is therefore our duty to keep surveillance of the building. This can hardly be done by the janitor in another block, since they have to be present there. Although the block was closed, work was undertaken at the block in clearing, moving stores and disassembling items which could still be used.
ACCOMMODATION
How many students are currently accommodated at Strahov Dormitory?
As of 30. 9. 2023, 4,126 students/self-payees are accommodated here. This data is regularly sent to the CTU RSS Student Union conference, and as such representatives of dormitory self-administration bodies can also provide this information.
How many rooms are currently vacant at Strahov due to renovation, etc.?
Due to renovations at Block 4 and Block 11 and also due to rooms not satisfying technical standards, and due to repeated occurrence of bed bugs, 593 rooms are unavailable.
Isn’t students’ privacy breached repeatedly when rooms are inspected? In commercial rentals, the contract defines when a building can be entered, with restrictions imposed to prevent harassment.
The student (client) signs an accommodation contract, not a rental contract. The student affirms that they are familiar with all the documents which are appendices to the contract. Art. IV para. 11 of the General Terms of Accommodation states: “The accommodated person is required to provide access to their room for the preventive inspection. The accommodated person must be informed at least 5 working days in advance of the inspection time. In acute cases, inspections will be undertaken in the presence of a student representative without giving notice: in this case a record will be made in the inspection book.”
Furthermore, rental contracts also state that the owner is able to inspect their property regularly if they let the tenants know in advance.
CANTEENS
You have recently been trying to get as many students as possible into the canteen. Food in the canteen is getting worse, yet costing more. Is SFA CTU going to focus on canteen quality?
SFA CTU regularly and consistently checks the quality of food and size of portions. We believe that we currently offer diners a selection of meals and quality of food of a high level. This claim is evidenced by the current number of meals we serve in canteens. Of course we cannot exclude the possibility that not everything is 100% all the time. We always regret such situations, and we do apologise for this. If this occurs, all our diners have the opportunity to return their food to canteen staff, and they should do so.
Could the breakfast menu also be served for dinner at Strahov Canteen? Not everyone can afford two full meals a day, especially when prices keep going up.
For capacity reasons, this is not possible in canteens. Thank you for the suggestion, however. We will endeavour to ascertain which food might be included in the permanent menu at the restaurant.
The prices for food and drink are very high. 0.5 l cola for the same price as at McDonalds, and main courses for 100 CZK are also a lot.
Unfortunately, the prices for food at our canteens reflect the price of ingredients. Even so, they remain highly competitive, and student discounts are accepted, as compared to restaurants.
How come the canteen at the Czech University of Life Sciences is able to cook similar foods at a lower price without a discount compared to those at CTU with a student discount?
The CZU does not directly run the canteen at Suchdol. A commercial company cooks at this canteen, and its prices are part of the contract. There is a difference in terms of portion size and quality of food. Both of these are better at our canteens.
COMMUNICATION
How much does the PR woman get? Nobody knew about today: she should start doing her work properly. If SFA has PR, it has enough money and doesn’t have to shaft students.
SFA CTU does not have a PR division. SFA has a Marketing and Sales division, whose employees undertake a broad range of activities, both inside and externally to the organisation. One of these activities is communication with students.
The main channel for sharing information is the website suz.cvut.cz and our FB page, where information was given with plenty of notice. According to information from one block representative, SH dormitory self-administration representatives received an e-mail with the date too. The STU Student Union Parliament was also able to hold public hearings.
What is the salary of the woman at PR and the new „Bedbug manager“?
There is no PR manager at SFA CTU. The “Bedbug Manager” performs this role in addition to his standard job duties.
DISCUSSIONS
Can the next debate be held earlier than after ¼ year, with the stipulation that bed bugs not be discussed, and the many other dormitory and canteen problems be focused on?
After seeing the opinions on social networks and at the discussion venue, we have come to the conclusion that the two sides expected a different outcome from joint discussions. Both sides are dissatisfied. We don’t want discussion to arouse so many negative emotions. We have tried to secure relevant suggestions for improvement, but unfortunately we haven’t got any. We are abandoning the concept of public meetings for the moment, and this will be replaced in February by a questionnaire, along the line of those at faculties, which residents will be informed of by e-mail.
It remains true that if you have any problems, you can contact the dormitory representative, who can submit your issue for discussion and correction via SH management and further, e.g., via RSS. You can also contact your dormitory’s economic manager, the accommodation department, and last but not least you can e-mail suz-dotazy [at] cvut [dot] cz. Thank you for your understanding.
Do SFA CTU management realise that students at their dormitories have to live in what they come up with? Have you heard of respect? It’s long been lacking at SFA, students are doing their best...
SFA CTU employees know what respect is, and we are all aware of the responsibility we have towards our accommodated students. We all approach our work with this in mind. We would be very glad if students also realised that they too have the responsibility of complying with the terms and conditions when staying at dormitories. SFA CTU even consult regularly with student representatives in regard to these terms and conditions, and they are subsequently approved by CTU’s Academic Senate, where it is voted on by senators who are fellow students.
REFUGEES FROM UKRAINE
How many rooms are given over to Ukrainians?
Refugees from Ukraine are currently living in 79 rooms in Block 2 at Strahov. Their accommodation is fully paid for by Prague City Council, or else they are paying for their rooms themselves.
How much longer are we going to tolerate Ukrainians at Strahov? The kids throw things out of the windows, and they make a mess on the corridors.
We don’t tolerate Ukrainian refugees at our dormitories! On the basis of a decision of university management, we have provided accommodation to people who have fled war in their country. The Rector’s words still apply when he said: “These people shall remain at CTU dormitories for as long as they need.
OTHER
Why are there increasingly more advertisements at the dormitories? Like that box in front of Block 7 at Strahov Dormitory?
The advertising boxes are at Strahov for a limited time and have been paid for.
Why is SFA resisting the construction of the closed store at B4? Are you worried that people won’t visit the canteen? Is this not a reflection on canteen prices?
For SFA CTU, there would be no benefit in restoring the stand at Block 4 in its original form. We also question its benefit for students, although we may be wrong. If the closed stand offered a business potential that we can’t see, then certainly its previous operator would have taken advantage of one of the opportunities it was repeatedly offered. SFA CTU is not putting anything in its way to satisfy student demands.
Considering the opening hours and range of products which the stand closed seven years ago offered, we see no relation to the operation of the canteen.
The cleaning company at Podolí has not been doing the job it is contractually obliged to properly for a long time. Despite frequent complaints via the student club, cleaning has not improved. Should SFA CTU not do more about this?
We regularly inspect the quality of services provided, including cleaning. We make regular inspections and also check inspections. Even so, individual cleaning company workers may occasionally do a poor job. We apologise to all those affected for such misconduct. We will take measures to secure rectification.
