By Amanda Smith//
Temperatures reached upward of 80 degrees in some of the Hood residence halls and classrooms in early April, sparking blistering criticism of the facilities department.
According to Cathy Thomas, director of facilities, the school is unable to turn on the air conditioning units too early because of the fluctuating temperatures this time of year. The air conditioning and cooling units are typically turned on April 15th or later.
“We had days that reached 80 degrees recently and then the temperatures were almost down to freezing a few nights later,” Thomas said. “Once the large cooling units on campus are started, we cannot switch back to heat and this is why we are so cautious about the timing.”
“All student complaints are treated as a high priority,” Thomas said. “We provide fans and window units where applicable.”
However, the school cannot determine if the large cooling units are going to run properly each year until they are started up, Thomas said. As soon as problems in operation are detected, they are immediately addressed for repairs.
Alongside the air conditioning problems, gas and water leaks have also occurred on Hood’s campus this semester.
“The gas leak in Whitaker occurred due to a pipe that had a bad valve inside,” Thomas said. “The building was evacuated; the gas utility company was on-site as well as our fire prevention company. The gas to the building was turned off and the repair was made the following day.”
Additionally, steps are taken to repair the damage immediately after a water leak occurs. “Extraction, cleaning and prevention are always completed,” Thomas said. “If students are affected, we take steps to address them instantly with the assistance of Residence Life.”
According to Thomas, aging infrastructure is prioritized and added to capital funding budgets as funds permit each year. If classes or students need to be moved due to a maintenance issue, the school works with Residence Life and other departments as needed to avoid any disruption to students and faculty.
“The facilities department is working with our vendors and insurance company to install new leak and temperature sensors in all buildings on campus,” Thomas said. “Gas leaks are easily detected (like the one in Whitaker) because the gas companies use an additive that will emit an odor if gas is leaking. This is how we were alerted to the leak in that building.”
Thomas said facilities meets weekly with Residence Life representatives to be sure their complaints are heard.
“We are doing everything we can to prevent future problems like these on campus as well as making sure that we communicate as much as possible to the students, faculty and staff if there are issues that everyone needs to be aware of,” she said.
Be the first to comment