Oklahoma United Methodist Hall may be facing some changes when the funds are available.
Administrators recognized the need for changes in campus buildings in the prioritization report that was released to students April 20. Prioritization is a process in which officials recommend what programs are priorities and which can receive funding cuts.
In support function 64 of the report, the taskforce recommended that the facilities department be allocated more resources to catch up on deferred maintenance around campus. Deferred maintenance was identified as one of the top priorities by the Cabinet, but reads “additional resources will be directed to deferred maintenance as available.”
To do a thorough building assessment, facilities is using the Work Order Report Control Systems, a computer input system that documents the condition of a building from all aspects. WORCS provides an estimated annual maintenance program and cost, as well as a deferred maintenance program and cost for each university building, according to the report.
Some students say the newest dorm on campus needs the most work because it was built so quickly.
“That’s kind of the joke of living there,” said Elizabeth McCreight, acting senior and resident. “Rome wasn’t built in a day, but Methodist was.”
Construction on Methodist Hall began August 2006 and opened a year later in August 2007. The building had no donor so it wasn’t named until October 2007 when it became Centennial Residence Hall to honor Oklahoma’s centennial year, according to Student Publication’s archives. It cost the university nearly $23 million to build and had a $10 million price tag to obtain a donor. The building was renamed Oklahoma United Methodist Hall when the Methodist Church became the donor in 2010.
One of the main issues in Methodist Hall has been flooding. The first flood was in 2008, causing almost $100,000 in damage. There were two more floods in January and February 2011, causing more than $50,000 worth of damage. Former vice president for student affairs Rick Hall sent out a letter to the campus community after the Feb. 2 flood reassuring them the building was safe. Money was taken out of the housing department’s budget to reimburse students for any damage. To read more about the damages and reimbursement, click here.
Administrators attributed the floods to pipe bursts, but the facilities workers at the time said it was actually because of sprinkler lines being sloped the wrong way, according to the archives.
When being built contractors were not given enough time to construct a quality system, former director of facilities Jeff Castleberry said at the time of the floods.
Some of the other issues are,
- Water damage from multiple leaks and floods,
- Stained bathtubs,
- Cracks in the walls, floors, and outside tiles,
- Falling bird control spikes from the roof throughout the courtyard,
- Rotting floors and walls,
- Broken bathroom cabinets, and
- Unfinished Work.
A variety of work orders have been put in for different issues, but students say it takes months for them to get done, if they are done at all.
“They tend to look at other problems first because it’s kind of like ‘it’s just a dorm, it’s allowed to be run-down,’” McCreight said. “So it is what it is.”
The maintenance issues will be resolved when more resources are available, said Debra Smith, assistant director of facilities.
Luke Wittmann, film production/mass communications sophomore and resident, said he thinks more effective management of housing, and work orders being done in a timely manner, could make housing more successful.
Housing officials refused to comment on the matter, but prioritization may also enhance the housing department. In support function 154 of the report the taskforce recommended to improve management of the function to include review of all multi-year contracts and restructure to improve communication with prospective students, current students, and campus community. The cabinet agreed the department needs changes, and suggested to allocate additional funding when available.
No changes will be made until the resources are made available.
Check MediaOCU for more updates on prioritization and changes on campus.
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