Most students who stopped by the Office of Residential Life last week received the same instruction: Have a seat.
ResLife was testing a new model of desk chair loaned to the University for student evaluation. At first glance, the chair appeared ordinary - essentially a standard swivel chair on wheels with an upholstered seat and back. The chair's distinguishing characteristic, however, was a delight to many. With the pull of a lever, the chair separates from its base and, when placed on the floor, rocks on two semicircular beams. The chair's flat-surfaced base becomes a small table useful for a laptop computer.
"Check that out ... that's a little impressive," said Jamal Shipman '07 on witnessing the transformation of the chair into a small workstation. Shipman was critical, though, of the chair's lack of armrests. According to Barbara Ross, an administrative assistant in ResLife, Shipman's critique was a common one.
"Everyone says it needs arms," Ross said.
The chair - named Trey by its manufacturer, Sauder Education - was designed specifically for modern college campuses. The chair "reflects a two-year research and product development process" in which the company considered the academic and social needs of college dorms, according to a company statement. Released in late 2006, the company is now promoting the chair at schools across the country. Davidson College in North Carolina recently outfitted a residence hall with Trey chairs during a renovation.
Though he did not state an intention to buy new chairs for University dorm rooms in the near future, Thomas Forsberg, associate director of housing and residential life, said his office has "a tendency to solicit student feedback" that "guides us in our purchasing decisions."
"It's always good to get some information," Forsberg said. Such feedback is also passed onto manufacturers. Forsberg said he has informed Sauder Education about the common complaint regarding the lack of armrests.
Forsberg recently presented the chair at a Residential Council meeting. Before a decision to purchase the chairs could be made, however, it would have to be "vetted by a number of different offices," Forsberg said.
Current desk chair models at Brown vary from one dorm to another, though the wooden upholstered "half-rockers" are perhaps the most notorious. Many students have strong feelings about the current models - a Facebook group about the half-rockers called "These Chairs are Bullsh*t" boasts a membership of 70.
Other dorm chairs are also unpopular. Sarah Tolan-Mee '09 said her wooden dorm chair in Barbour Hall resembled those in the Sharpe Refectory and said it was "uncomfortable" and "too low for the desk."
"I put (course) readers on the chair to make it higher," Tolan-Mee said.
More test chairs may appear at ResLife in the future, as Forsberg said the University "will be approached by a number of different manufacturers" before placing a bid on any specific model. In any event, he said ResLife officials are aware of the need to purchase furniture that will satisfy students in the long run. "When I buy for a building, it's unlikely that I'm going to be going again into that building with residence hall bedroom furniture for 20 years," Forsberg said.
Forsberg estimated the budget for an entire suite of bedroom furniture is between $1,000 and $1,500. He said the average cost of a desk chair is "anywhere between $125 and $200," though he said the Trey model is "a little more expensive than a standard chair." The final cost of any furniture piece is a function of the quantity purchased by the University, Forsberg said.
Though Shipman said Brown students are "ready for new chairs," he said he was "not thoroughly impressed" with Trey. He added that though the floor rocker might be "cool for watching TV," it was insufficiently supportive and consequently "not a very comfortable work position."
"I don't feel special when I'm sitting in the chair," said Shipman, who has a half-rocker in his Vartan Gregorian Quad suite. "For it to be as expensive as it is, I want to feel like I'm hugged and loved by the chair. I don't know that this is the new chair we should be buying."
