Mr. Rosado Fights To Keep Our Campus Clean

East Stroudsburg University’s Building Care Manager, Ivan Rosado.
Photo Credit / Christopher Barreto
East Stroudsburg University’s Building Care Manager, Ivan Rosado.
Photo Credit / Christopher Barreto

BY CHRISTOPHER BARRETO

SC STAFF WRITER


Going through their daily lives, there are few students who think about the hard work and effort put into keeping their university campus clean.  But Ivan Rosado, the Building Care Manager of East Stroudsburg University, keeps it in mind on a daily basis.

Mr. Rosado does it out of necessity since the workload his staff faces is always changing.  “Basically, you go into work every day blind.  For us, there is typically no planning.”  He said, while talking about a “normal” day for his staff.  “There are the typical routines that we have in place but, sometimes, problems are created the night before that we are forced to deal with when we come to work the next morning.  Sometimes students will create a mess, or an employee will take out their frustrations on the rooms and it makes us adjust.”

Since 2005, Mr. Rosado has been working at ESU.  He’s responsible for a number of things, such as directing other employees, purchasing and testing cleaning products, and creating procedures for employees to follow.  Although there are dozens of things for him to do, Mr. Rosado doesn’t seem fazed by it.  “The job is always changing and one of the things I like about this campus is that I’m not stagnant in one building.  I have the opportunity to get up and roam around the campus.  I can get a breath of fresh air, and most places that you can work at, like in an office, your boss won’t let you have that.”  He said with a smile.

As with any managerial position, Mr. Rosado’s job isn’t always easy.  “I have a big crew and, a lot of times, they’ll complain that they don’t have enough time to do certain jobs,” he said, with a slight frown.  “Yesterday alone, I made my rounds to inspect the campus, and I approached some supervisors and told them to be more assertive in approaching individuals.

I told them not to use me as a scapegoat and not to blame me, the manager, for their problems.  Sometimes you find them doing things that they shouldn’t be doing, like sitting around on the job.  They are the first to complain that they don’t have time, but they’re the ones that I find sitting around.  I add up all the time that they spend not doing their work, and I see it as time that could be spent doing their responsibilities.”

To an outsider, this might be seen as nitpicking.  However, this is not the only thing Mr. Rosado is worried about. “When you’re on the phone when you should be working, you aren’t focusing on your job.  We have to think safety because if you’re on your phone and messing with equipment, chances are you’re going to get hurt.”  He said, with a concerned look.

With his confident and friendly demeanor, it’s not surprising how Mr. Rosado got his job at ESU.  While others might wonder how he balances out his duties, Mr. Rosado doesn’t seem to worry. “Everything I do is through numbers, even with how many employees I need and how much time they spend.  That is how I’m able to effectively run my department.”  He said with a smile.

Born and raised in Coney Island, Mr. Rosado grew to appreciate the opportunities that have arisen in his life.  “As a kid, growing up, I used to shine shoes.  I used to look forward to shining shoes because, at Coney Island, the boardwalk was always packed,” he recalled.  “That was one of my first jobs, and it was a good job because it gave me the opportunity to learn how to earn and save money.”

Once his family moved to East New York, he took up a job in a pizzeria.  Later, at the age of 17, he got his first union job as a Janitor.  “In the 80’s, I worked at hotels and banquets and I was given the opportunity to become a night manager in either 1990 or ‘91.  I’ve been a manager since then.”  Mr. Rosado said.

If someone heard this story, they might think that his rising career is what he would be most proud of.  But Mr. Rosado doesn’t see it that way.  “I’m proud of my kids and I guess that’s my biggest accomplishment,” he said with a laugh.  “Your kids are one of the greatest loves you’ll ever have.  They’re good kids that were raised well, and they’re cool.  I was always told that you are never remembered for the things you do, you’ll always be remembered by your children.  No one ever remembers you for the things you did.”

On his free time, Mr. Rosado enjoys a variety of activities.  “One of the first things that I do when I get home is, I change and I start to draw.  In the summer, I like to go hiking, camping, go swimming in my pool, and I like to have barbeques.”

And of course, being a loving father, Mr. Rosado enjoys spending time with his children when he has the chance.   He knows that he has workers who also share his thoughts on their own children.  Unfortunately, the job will not always allow him that luxury.

With thousands of students being on campus on a daily basis, there is always something that needs to be cleaned.  “I tell my employees that it’s job security.  You can’t expect to clean it today, and still expect it to be like that the next day.  Otherwise, I wouldn’t need to have them five days a week.”  Mr. Rosado explained.

While he isn’t afraid of seeing a mess, Mr. Rosado still would like others to be more conscientious of his staff’s work.  “Coming out of class, this one kid decides to kick over the garbage can,” Mr. Rosado recalls.  “He didn’t know I was behind him and he didn’t know who I was.  But I approached him and asked why he did that.

He said ‘What does it matter to you?’  I told him, ‘Because I’m the manager of these facilities and of the housekeepers.  The people who work here have children.  Would you like it if your mother had to pick all that garbage up because someone like you knocked it over?  It’s not fair.’ A lot of these people forget that they’re creating the mess.”

 

Email Christopher at:

cbarreto@live.esu.edu