Last Monday, UTMSU announced the opening of their full-time nap room in the Student Centre, which has effectively replaced the “Forest Room” on the second floor.
A soft launch was announced on the UTMSU Facebook page in early December during the exam period.
According to UTMSU’s board meeting agenda on July 28, all eight cots and pillows are pleather, a material similar to the mats located in the RAWC, and is done for hygienic purposes. Cots are regularly wiped down with disinfectant spray after each nap, and inspected on a bi-weekly basis. Food and drinks are not permitted.
The safety of napping students is assessed on an ongoing basis, as the Info Booth staff conduct regular sweeps of the nap room. Individuals who choose to nap are encouraged to place their personal belongings in lockers and cubbies next to each cot.
The UTM nap room joins a growing wave of projects undertaken by institutions across Canada to combat student exhaustion. Mount Royal University was one of the first to open the doors to its full-time campus nap room in September 2015. The University of Calgary and the British Columbia Institute of Technology followed shortly after in November 2015 and January 2016, respectively.
Jackie Zhao, UTMSU’s VP internal did not respond to The Medium’s request for comment, as of press time.
Are we 5? Seriously?
The university is more of a daycare every year. Haven’t you noticed?
That said, compare this to the idea of a modern “campus” in, say, Silicon Valley or Redmond. What budding young entrepreneur, when given the following options:
(a) Nap room
(b) No nap room
…would choose option (b)?