Editorial: Back to the basics

Last week, the University of Toledo held four sparsely attended Campus Facilities Master Planning forums. The goal of the forums was to gather input on how to best utilize UT’s various buildings. In at least one of the meetings, they discussed the use of certain spaces like Carter Hall and Scott Park Campus. No one from the IC spoke at these meetings, so we thought it would be worthwhile to say what we think facilities should focus on.

The most important thing is infrastructure. This includes heating, cooling, water and electrical systems. These form the base of everything on campus, and without a strong infrastructure, buildings start to deteriorate and need constant overhaul to be functional.

This is like when residents had to leave the Collingwood Arts Center, in 2014, after it was deemed unsuitable to live in when the fuses kept blowing and some of the heaters stopped working. The center is a beautiful building and a staple of the Old West End, but the building wasn’t managed well and it would have taken a million dollars to upgrade the building so people could live in it.

If the buildings are out of commission, then we won’t be able to have class, and the university will slowly halt while repairs are being made. Remember when Sullivan Hall was closed in January 2014 when a pipe burst? All of the classes and offices housed there had to be moved to other buildings for the rest of the semester.

Because of UT’s recent winter destruction, it is crucial that our buildings get proper maintenance. Student housing — which was heavily referred to by the authors of the survey sent out by President Gaber and referenced in at least one of the forums — does not need immediate changes. The dorms have to be up kept to house students, so they are regularly maintained.

Think back to the last two winters when classes had to be shut down for faulty heating and cooling systems. Not only that, pipes burst in multiple locations around campus, shutting down the vendors in the Student Union and flooding different areas on campus. Hot water availability was spotty at best for people in the dorms after the incident and throughout the winter. These are the problems that need to be solved now. They cannot be pushed aside and postponed because they directly affect students and therefore should be the top priority.

Fixing infrastructure might not be flashy and impressive, but the long-term cost of not repairing these issues is undeniable. Now is the time to fix the essentials, whether it’s heating and cooling issues, Americans with Disability Act compliance or empty classrooms and unused buildings.

We want long-term fixes — not temporary bandages that will prevent a break in the next year. We are tired of the emails from UT that say whole buildings are closed due to system failures in buildings.

This is something that takes time and money, but in our minds it will be time and money well spent. It will possibly take more than one summer to rip out all of the worn out pipes to replace them with new ones that can withstand record-breaking low temperatures. We understand if they can’t do it soon, but we want it to be on their radar when talking about facilities planning. We shouldn’t be at the mercy of the weather. Students shouldn’t have to map out alternative locations to eat in case the Student Union isn’t open on a school day.