The Information Technology and Administrative Management (ITAM) department is now being housed in Hebeler Hall after mold was discovered within the ITAM office suite. Professors and staff within the department allegedly have been aware of the issues and sending complaints to the facilities department for the last 18 months.

Shane Scott, the interim assistant vice president of campus planning and facilities management, stated that facilities has “put [their] foot on the gas pedal,” and that as soon as the issue hit his radar he dispatched his crews to begin what repairs they could.

After receiving a complaint on Feb. 28, James Hudson, an industrial hygienist with the department of environmental health and safety, hired NVL Labs to conduct an investigation of Shaw Smyser. The final report was submitted on March 26 and detailed the mold issues within the building.

The report stated that there was an elevated level of Aspergillus-Penucillium and Stachybotrys—different types of black mold—spores within Shaw Smyser room 234. It also stated that the mold may have been caused from excessive moisture in the walls and other building materials.

According to a memo sent from Director of Facilities Ed Castaneda to Scott regarding the findings of the report, after receiving the results, facilities went and did their own inspections of different parts of the building.

“Using an aerial lift, crews inspected the building gutters and roof drains on the north side of the building,” the memo said. “The lining and caulk in the gutter had deteriorated thus allowing water to flow out of the gutters and penetrate the building.”

A faculty member within the department who chose not to be named stated that there have been several faculty and staff members who reported health problems. In their experience, the source has had to wear a mask when going into their office in Shaw Smyser, has had a loss of visual contrast–perceiving differences in objects–and extreme fatigue. Another staff member was reported to have fainted in their office and was taken to the hospital.

“[I] never had allergy issues in my life,” Dr. Martin Bagaya, an ITAM assistant professor, said. “But now, after we were [told all of the issues in that building], we know that was the cause.”

Scott stated the move into Hebeler Hall was voluntary and not brought on by facilities.

“The air quality is much better over here,” said ITAM department secretary Libby Gibson referring to the new office in Hebeler.

Even though the move is for the health and safety of the people within the ITAM department, the move was not without its challenges. Many professors are being housed in an overflow office space instead of their own personal offices and some are even sharing a single cubicle.

The incoming professors and staff have also had to face a sort of technology downgrade. According to Dr. Susan Rivera, an ITAM lecturer, the phone network was never set up in the overflow office space. This means that the professors who are used to being able to use phones for work have experienced some loss in communication with students.

“I miss my phone,” Bagaya said.

Moving from Shaw Smyser to Hebeler has also affected the relationship between students and professors. Gibson stated that since ITAM students still have classes in Shaw Smyser, there has been less traffic in the office, which she misses.

“You can’t just knock on the door or go into the office,” Lwin Htet, a junior ITAM major, said.

The entire ITAM department is set to move into Samuelson on July 18, after the contractors finish their tests and give the building to the school to use. Currently, people within the ITAM department are working with Scott and other facilities’ staff to set up weekly meetings to discuss the ongoing complaints and issues in Shaw Smyser.

“We all know [the move into Hebeler is] not anything permanent,” Gibson said. “So, everyone’s got a really good outlook on it.”