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Sept. 15, 2016
Campus www.jcunews.com
The Carroll News
From BLACKOUT p.3 Residence Life staff and JCUPD stayed in the student center overnight and did walkthroughs of the building to check on the students who were sleeping in the student center. “Obviously we wanted to check and see that everything was okay with them,” Brown said. “We used [the student center] because it is open overnight anyway. So, we knew it was airconditioned, there was light and WiFi was available. That’s why we then worked with JCUPD and ResLife staff because we didn’t know how many students would choose this option. We wanted to make sure there were professional staff members around to be available as resources and continue to check on the students,” said Brown. Residence Life anticipated students would be concerned with completing coursework so they contacted Jeanne Colleran, the Provost and Academic Vice President. Colleran was able to send out an email to all faculty members at 11:48 p.m. on Wednesday night. The email explained that a significant number of students were affected by the power outage. “It’s hard when these situations happen,” Brown said. “And as much as you think you have plans in place, something always goes awry. In this situation, some of our contingency on the emergency backup stuff in the buildings went down too,” said Brown. “Whenever a situation like this occurs, a couple days later, [we] take a look at things and figure out what went well. Are there things that we can use to inform and plan for future situations that occur? It’s always a learning lesson for us. But in that, our priority always remains how do we make decisions about things that puts the students’ safety first,” said Brown. President of Student Union Will Hudson said, “While I am glad that all affected were safe and the outage was resolved relatively quickly, I remain concerned about the chaos that ensued when the outage occurred. I want to commend the Office of Residence Life and Resident Assistants in particular for their management of a tough situation. However, I am troubled that essentially no plan was in place to adequately cope with an event like a power outage. I Photo by Pierce Srail look forward to engaging the Office of Residence Life and other applicable parties to work to create plans for the future in which situations like the one we went through last week are Two students leave Hamlin Hall with ice as they find a place to stay for the night. controlled effectively and student safety is prioritized.”
Summer construction beautifies campus Laura Bednar Campus Editor
Over the summer, several construction projects took place on campus. Some of the larger undertakings were the Masonry restoration in the Boler School of Business, Student Activity Center roof replacement, Kulas Auditorium improvements, Millor Hall received a fire protection system upgrade, Campion Hall got new student room furniture and heating control improvements, Shula Stadium was given a domestic hot water system and heating boiler, Hamlin Hall & Campion Hall had exterior lighting upgrades, the Schott Dining Hall had a refrigeration replacement, the South Belvoir parking lot was repaved and sidewalks were replaced, striped and paved throughout campus. All projects began in various times during the summer beginning in May and ending in August. One of the more noticeable projects was the renovation of the O’Malley Center. This included new carpet in all the common areas and classrooms. The facilities department also replaced entrance mats in both vestibules and replaced light fixtures to make the style more contemporary. “I don’t like the way they changed the globes [on the light fixtures]. It doesn’t look like Harry Potter anymore,” said senior Ta’ Shaun Dorsey. The light output in O’Malley was increased with LED energy efficient lamps and wall coverings were also replaced in those same areas. All O’Malley classrooms were painted as well as the restrooms and stairwells. “I like the paint. It looks very nice,” junior Kaitlin Morrissey said. Classroom OC 211 received new furniture for flexibility in the room as well as new LED lighting. The ground level of the building was where the Tim Russert “Meet the Press” display was erected. Construction in O’Malley was completed by August except for the display, which was finished in time for a ribbon cutting ceremony in July during reunion weekend. O’Malley was built in 1994 and had not gotten any updates since its building. AsPhoto by Carlee Duggan sociate Vice President for Facilities Carol Dietz said, “The purpose of the renovation was to rejuvenate and enliven the student space transitioning the finishes to be more Students in O’Malley Center gather near the “Meet the Press” display honoring Tim Russert. contemporary, while maintaining and honoring the original design.” The majority of the projects were implemented as a part of the campus’ capital renewal plan. Dietz said, “We have great facilities and spaces here at JCU and this reinvestment is required to ensure that all areas, equipment and systems continue to perform as intended and support our academic programs accordingly.” Potential projects are proposed by constituencies on campus and prioritized based on how they would support the University’s strategic plan, risk of failure, campus impact and cost. Projects are reviewed by the Senior Leadership Team and a final list of projects is presented to the Properties, Facilities and Technology Committee of the Board to be approved. Projects are planned, designed and carried out by the Facilities project managers and various contractors are hired as needed through a bidding process. Dietz said, “These improvements are very important in ensuring the campus facilities and grounds are maintained to meet the University’s Mission and Strategic Plan.”
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