2008 Woodie Awards
Buildings often extremely cold, faculty, staff say
Replacing air regulatory boxes makes temperature uncontrollable, facilities superintendent says.
By Regis L. Roberts
Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: News
Originally published: 4/17/08 at 7:00 PM CSTLast update: 4/17/08 at 10:23 PM CST
In the last few weeks on this campus, it has been the weather inside that has been frightful.
Faculty and staff in various buildings on campus complain that the air conditioning will run at unneeded times, making it extremely cold.
Facilities Superintendent David Ortega said the variable air volume boxes in Fletcher Administration Center and McCreless Hall are being replaced, meaning the air flow cannot be controlled.
Pugh Constructors has the contract to replace the boxes in Fletcher, and Mustang General Contracting has the contract for McCreless, he said.
The new boxes will be completed in June, he said.
These boxes regulate the air flow of certain areas of the building, such as classrooms, offices and hallways.
Fletcher, for example, has 44 boxes, Ortega said.
"Fletcher is in chaos at the moment," he said.
Isabel Castaneda, department secretary of distance education, whose office is on the second floor of Fletcher, said the temperature in the building often fluctuates, being cold one day and hot the next.
The air conditioning is on all day, and she cannot control the temperature herself.
Castaneda said she had to call maintenance about the air conditioning about three weeks ago to have the temperature adjusted.
Ortega said that is the nature of working in a construction area, and said he would like to be able to adjust the temperature in the building.
The new boxes will be digital systems and will save on energy, he said.
This is because the boxes will be automated and know exactly when to shut off, he said.
Paul Sanchez, senior secretary for the English department, said complaints about the temperature come to him.
Offices, classrooms, even restrooms get uncomfortably cold, and Sanchez said he will call the maintenance hotline at 733-2222 to ask for the air conditioner to be turned down.
Response to a call takes a long time, he said.
For example, a call will be put into maintenance on a Monday and someone will not respond to it until Wednesday, he said.
Faculty and staff in various buildings on campus complain that the air conditioning will run at unneeded times, making it extremely cold.
Facilities Superintendent David Ortega said the variable air volume boxes in Fletcher Administration Center and McCreless Hall are being replaced, meaning the air flow cannot be controlled.
Pugh Constructors has the contract to replace the boxes in Fletcher, and Mustang General Contracting has the contract for McCreless, he said.
The new boxes will be completed in June, he said.
These boxes regulate the air flow of certain areas of the building, such as classrooms, offices and hallways.
Fletcher, for example, has 44 boxes, Ortega said.
"Fletcher is in chaos at the moment," he said.
Isabel Castaneda, department secretary of distance education, whose office is on the second floor of Fletcher, said the temperature in the building often fluctuates, being cold one day and hot the next.
The air conditioning is on all day, and she cannot control the temperature herself.
Castaneda said she had to call maintenance about the air conditioning about three weeks ago to have the temperature adjusted.
Ortega said that is the nature of working in a construction area, and said he would like to be able to adjust the temperature in the building.
The new boxes will be digital systems and will save on energy, he said.
This is because the boxes will be automated and know exactly when to shut off, he said.
Paul Sanchez, senior secretary for the English department, said complaints about the temperature come to him.
Offices, classrooms, even restrooms get uncomfortably cold, and Sanchez said he will call the maintenance hotline at 733-2222 to ask for the air conditioner to be turned down.
Response to a call takes a long time, he said.
For example, a call will be put into maintenance on a Monday and someone will not respond to it until Wednesday, he said.
This is an open forum for the readers of TheRanger.org. Abusive, inflammatory, slanderous, obscene and libelous language will not be tolerated. Please be considerate of other readers when posting comments. This is not the place for personal attacks. The staff of The Ranger.org reserves the right to deny publication of any posts. The comments posted here do not reflect the opinions of The Ranger staff, San Antonio College or the Alamo Community College District.
Be the first to comment on this story