Help! University Darkroom Rules??

sepiareverb

sepiareverb

genius and moron
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Hello-
I'm hoping you all can help my small Photo Department out. Our darkroom has been deemed unsafe for students to work in alone after someone fell and broke her leg in there. She did not sue, did not even bring up the accident until asked what happened to her leg- she took responsibility for her actions- spilling the developer- which she slipped in. Yet the college has instituted a 'buddy system" for all darkroom work with limited hours and lockdown. My Chair has asked for some info that I'm hoping you can help me find- What are darkroom use policies at other institutions these days? Both he and I are used to 24/7 access, is this still the norm??

A quick synopsis of the rules, name of the institution and when you were there would be a huge help in getting access back!
 
I'm enrolled at the University of Missouri right now. Our darkroom is open 10-4 weekdays and, with the exception of needing to sign for a key to unlock the main door, completely unsupervised.

The hours are a bit of a pain, as most of my classes happen when the darkroom is open (and I feel a bit oxymoronic going into a darkroom when it's sunny outside), but it is conveniently located on campus and cheap ($30/semester).
 
Ours in college was 9-5 then 7pm-midnight most days. There was a student staffer there at all times (usually outside smoking) to deal with mixing the shared chemistry, and general assistance.
 
I used to work at a university, in their department of public safety, not in their art department. I did get to know the person in charge of their darkroom, and was invited to use it if I wanted. They also were not open 24/7, as the above poster mentioned.

I am inclined to think that is a bit unusual. Most universities will want someone, usually a student, to be a caretaker/helper, just as they would in a computer lab. University administrators will get big cases of paranoia over even the possibility of a lawsuit. And it only takes one incident to mess up an otherwise good thing. Take a lesson in life.

I wish you good luck. However, I suspect in the long run, your chair will have better luck in asking for implementing the "buddy" system with unlimited hours, or going through one of the grant administrators for extra money for hiring a deserving student(s) to work in the darkroom (lab), as a way of earning money towards their tuition.
 
memphis said:
thank god there's no australian children doing handstands and cartwheels in there - god forbid someone really gets hurt


when will we treat college students like adults and request that they take responsibility for their safety and their actions
Click to expand...

I understand, but you only need to look at Keith's thread on handstands to know we aren't in Kansas any more. I once heard of a successful lawsuit by a student who was drunk and dancing on the top of a car. He sued the car manufacturer who "... should have known the top of a car was a dangerous place for a drunk ..' and given proper label warnings.

A university lost a lawsuit by a female student who was assaulted in a computer lab. There was a camera in the lab and she, during the struggle, alleged she made a point of forcing the assailant closer to the camera so he could be identified.

The camera was a dummy camera, put there in the hopes of preventing problems. He lawsuit was due to the fact the camera was a dummy camera. Either the university should have used a real camera or warned that the camera was a dummy camera. Huh?
 
memphis said:
thank god there's no australian children doing handstands and cartwheels in there - god forbid someone really gets hurt


when will we treat college students like adults and request that they take responsibility for their safety and their actions
Click to expand...

I was going to link to Keith's thread, but figured someone would! Thanks.

Responsibility seems to expensive- a swipe system for access using existing magnetic strip id's would be a good way to know who was where when.
 
ICP

DARKROOM INFORMATION 1998-1999

Who may use the darkrooms?

All registered students have access to the labs, outside of class on a "fee per hour" basis. Availability of printing time will be posted at the beginning of each term in our Open Printing Schedule--which will indicate hours and time (we provide a wallet size edition to take with you.) All darkroom charges are listed on the reverse of this sheet.

It is essential that you keep your registration card so that you can indicate your status to the darkroom staff.

Sign-in procedure

Your first stop before working in any lab will be the darkroom office window. There you will fill out a darkroom sign-in form (white when in class, pink outside of class time.) If you have not used one before, please ask your TA to help you. In short: give your full name, date time in, equipment requested and signature. Appropiate boxes are to be checked off and blank lines are for numbers (indicating quantity) for that type of equipment.

To sign out any equipment you must leave one form of valid ID (driver´s license, credit card, etc.) Your registration card is not considered a form of valid ID for this purpose. Darkroom staff will check all equipment at the counter when you sign in and out.

Remember: you are financially responsible for the equipment that you sign out. Never leave it unattended.

Reservations will only be accepted for color enlargers, oversize easels and the copy stand (max. 3 hours per day) New reservation sheets for the following week will be available each Monday morning. We hold reservations for 15min., please call if you are going to be late or need to cancel.

(c) INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY
 
Students should sign a release form, assuming responsibility of their use of the dark room and anything that it entails. So, if they have an accident or set it on fire, it's their responsibility.

If your chair is like mine, there's a fear of lawsuits in the air. I'd make the form signing mandatory, and should be done only once, then filed away. Nothing would be worse than a buddy system in the darkroom. What would the other person do? Pass the salt? Cut the cheese?

Sorry, couldn't help it. 🙂

Good luck! 😉
 
Students obligations

Please leave the darkroom in such condition as you would like to find them. The objective here is to learn and to be productive--not to pick up after other people.

* Absolutely no food or drink in the darkrooms.

*Please be considerate to the other people working in the darkroom: play music only if everyone agrees, keep your flashlight and enlarger light to yourself, etc.

Before you leave:

* Make sure that all your signed-out equipment is accounted for and returned to the darkroom office

* Remove any tape especially from the easels

* cover the enlarger with the plastic bag

* Payment for open printing sessions: cash or personal checks. Please ask for a receipt.

(c) INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY
 
Staff obligations

We and the teaching assistants are here to make your studies and work as productive as possible. We are available to help you resolve any problems that may come your way--technical or otherwise. Among us there is a lot of experience; we encourage you to use this resource.

...

(c) INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY
 
Last edited:
I was in charge of my school's (Westminster College, UT) darkroom from 2004-2007.

From what I've seen at other schools in the area, 24/7 access is a rare thing. Our school locked all of the non-residential buildings between midnight and 6 AM, something about insurance, was the reason given.

The lab was staffed by students, and the hours varied. But generally we tried to keep it open from about 9 or 10 AM to 8 or 9 at night. And usually Saturdays or Sundays for people who couldn't make it in during the week. We didn't ever have a buddy system, but students had to check out (and in) supplies from the person on duty, who would then check up on them every 15-20 minutes. Mostly to make sure the chemistry was ok and that they weren't burning the lab down, but if someone ever had been injured they wouldn't have been alone very long.
 
My mom lived alone until her 90's. She had a little necklace she wore that she could push a button and summon 911 if anything happened (like a fall). I can't remember how much it cost but it wasn't much. Maybe you could buy one for the darkroom for anyone using it alone.
 
From the exciting world of ICP teaching assistants

Obligations of teaching assistants

* Punctuality is essential. Two unexcused absences or persistant lateness and you will be asked to leave. Classes, students and other TAs depend on your consideration.

* Class instructor or darkroom staff will determine duties and assignments.

* Arranging and cleaning up the classroom and/or lab is part of the TAs responsability. Do this when you arrive and before you leave so that your class, and the next, will find our facility presentable and ready to go. Class TAs are the first ones to arrive and the last ones to leave. Classes may not start early without a TA. TAs may not participate in the class as students.

TAs must find a replacement or arrange a shift exchange, from current list of TAs, for any planned absences - at least one week in advance.

...

(c) INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY
 
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