This memorandum was written to address a recurring issue on campus and was directed to City College President Dr. Vincent Boudreau. The assignment required me to identify a specific campus related problem, provide context, and propose a solution. I chose to focus on the malfunctioning escalators, a problem that affects students’ daily movement between classes.

To: Dr. Vincent Boudreau, President, City College

From: Logan Sanchez, Student LS

Subject: Escalator Maintenance Issues and Proposed Solutions

Date: February 22, 2025

The purpose of this memo is to enlighten you on a continuous issue that has been affecting campus escalators. Escalators regularly breaking down. This predicament has led to unwanted delays and poses risk to serious injuries. To ensure safety and convenience of the students and faculty we must address the issue promptly

Summary

The campus escalators are very problematic and are a big inconvenience to everyone including the students, faculty and any other visitors. This has become a nuisance and hampers the smooth execution of day-to-day activities and puts individuals on campus in a position of risk. People who may depend on these escalators will be delayed and may be required to use other routes which are not easily accessible. In addition, in case of any sudden stop on the escalator, the risk of injuries is likely to be high.  

Current Issues with escalators

The campus escalators are frequently out of order, calling in for a mandatory repair. This regular issue has caused students to resort to alternative routes, in which includes stairways and elevators leaving them to be congested, especially during campus rush hours. A constant complication on the escalator that students and staff are met with is when the escalators are powered off, and people are coming up and down from both ways. This leads to tight crowds and possible injuries.

Proposed solutions

• Hiring a professional maintenance company
  • This company can conduct regular inspections and servicing
  • Maintenance can be scheduled during non-rush hours to minimize disruptions.
• Replacing outdated equipment
  • The state and conditions of the escalators can be examined remove parts that may need upgrading.
  • Investing in brand new escalators could be worth it in the long run, reducing frequent maintenance.
• Involving engineering students in repairs and maintenance
  • A student led program where engineering students work to identify and repair escalator issues.
  • This experience would provide valuable learning experiences while possibly reducing maintenance costs.

Recommendation

To successfully improve these ongoing issues, I would like to propose a three-step approach. Establish a structured maintenance plan, an assessment for potential replacement, and the creation of a student led repair program. Taking these steps will only be beneficial for everyone on campus. It allows us to expand campus accessibility while providing little to no inconvenience. Speaking in long terms we are looking at reducing the cost of maintenance leaving room to enhance education for students.

Please reach out to me to talk further. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss this in a follow up meeting.