By Matt Thacker
The Natural Sciences Building has been part of U of L since 1954, so it’s not the most modern-looking building on the Belknap Campus. However, some people who work in the building, which houses both the Mathematics and Physics departments, feel that building maintenance has been on the decline recently.
Timothy Braunch, the graduate student council president and a math teaching assistant who has an office in the Natural Sciences Building, said he doesn’t understand how the university can afford to construct new buildings but can’t afford to replace ceiling tiles in buildings already on campus.
“The Natural Sciences Building is literally falling apart,” Braunch said.
Elizabeth Gerton, a custodian who has worked more than 10 years in the Natural Sciences Building, said that she has seen a difference as well.
“It has definitely gone down,” she said, referring to the quality of maintenance service during the last two years.
Room 128 has a hole in the floor that is two inches wide and nearly three inches deep. Braunch said the hole first appeared in April and that one professor tripped over the hole while teaching last year. Also, several ceiling tiles above the stairwell next to the teaching assistant offices on the north side of the building collapsed in late August.
Several other ceiling tiles around the building are partially damaged or have water stains and mold, but the water stains aren’t just limited to the ceiling.
“Walk up or down any of the stairwells, and you can see evidence of leakage throughout the building,” Braunch said, adding that much of the damage has been there since he moved into the building in August 2004.
A thick layer of dust covers the water sprinklers in the Math department offices and in some hallways on the third floor, and many lights in that area of the building do not work properly. Braunch also said that the elevator breaks frequently.
“At least once a month [the elevator] breaks. I won’t even ride it anymore,” Braunch said.
Braunch said he and other graduate students who work in the Natural Sciences Building inform workers in the Math department office of the maintenance issues. They in turn report the problems to the Work Control Office in the Physical Plant. An assistant in the Math department confirmed that they do make the requests. He said that generally the Work Control Office responds quickly to most requests.
However, Braunch and Gerton both believe that recently the response of the maintenance workers has slowed significantly.
While some of the problems may be more of a nuisance or an eye sore, some students have been more seriously affected by problems in the building.
Cathy Patus, director of the Disability Resource Center, said that last year a student using a wheelchair needed to use the first floor restroom. She could open the door from the outside, but because of the weight and location of the door, she could not open it from the inside.
“Thank goodness for cell phones,” Patus said. The student was able to call Patus who then called an office in the Natural Sciences Building. Someone was able to open the door and help the student get out.
Larry Detherage, director of the Physical Plant, said the problem with the restroom door has been fixed. On Sept. 29, he said that the mess which had not been cleaned up from the ceiling tile collapse in the stairwell as well as the hole in the floor of Room 128 would both be fixed within a week.
Detherage also said that their log showed that there have been five work requests regarding the elevator getting stuck since Jan. 1 and that each problem had been handled. He said the last request came in July. They also said that some of the leaks on the third floor had been fixed and that they would survey the situation after the next heavy rain.
Detherage said that while no one is neglecting the building, they have to handle requests for each building on campus. The Belknap Campus map lists 74 buildings, but including the unlisted buildings, that number raises to around 100.
Detherage said that problems which require immediate service are handled first. After that, they analyze and then prioritize the requests. He said that within a week he will follow up on all of the issues which have not yet been fixed to make sure each situation is addressed.
