A student organization at the
University of Oklahoma is experiencing checkout problems with their equipment.
The Student Organization Resource
Office allows registered student organizations and students at OU to use their
equipment for upcoming events or personal use, but several organizations and
students are not turning the equipment in on time.
“We usually
have equipment reserved the next day, and we have to have it back by noon that
day, so that we can check it out to the next person,” SORO office worker Rachel
Garrison said.
There is not a sufficient amount of
equipment available in the SORO office, so late equipment can hurt
organizations who need it.
“Sometimes organizations need the laptops, so
when we don’t have them it creates problems for people’s events,” Garrison
said.
SORO fines
organizations and students that are late turning in equipment, but late
equipment fine does not affect a student’s ability to enroll, and this makes it
hard for SORO to receive their equipment and fines on time.
“It makes it kind of hard sometimes
to keep people accountable for their fines,” Garrison said. “Some people just
choose to never check out from SORO again.”
Organizations and students that do
not promptly pay their fines are put on the “Do Not Check Out” list, or
organizations that are consistently turning in late equipment can make the list
because of the SORO 3 Strike Policy, according to Garrison.
The list is posted on the wall of
SORO’s office. Every employee is aware of students or organizations that cannot
checkout equipment.
SORO is working on getting holds on
student’s account. The organization hopes that this will decrease the amount of
late equipment they receive, and fines will be paid in a timely manner.
Organizations cannot use SORO’s
equipment until the fine is paid.
Organizations are required to fill
out a liability form before checkout, and all equipment must be returned by 11
a.m. on the day after equipment was checked out.
Organizations will be charged for
the full amount of equipment if the equipment is five days late, and
reservation privileges will be suspended for the remainder of the semester,
according to the SORO website.
SORO provides a wide variety of
equipment ranging from projectors, projector screens, laptops, sound equipment,
microphones, and adaptors for computers.
SORO was established 2004, and is
funded by the University of Oklahoma. SORO has dedicated their organization to
the AV needs of student and student organizations to rent their equipment for
free, according to the SORO website
