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| Moldy classroom (How does this “facilitate the continuity of government," Glenn?) |
Yesterday, faculty (et al.) were finally provided with the results of tests done on room A205 at IVC. I haven't had the chance to read these documents, but I gather that they indicate that A205 is hazardous.
I have received a copy of an email, dated Oct. 9, from one of the full-time instructors that regularly teaches in room A205—Wendy Gabriella—to Faculty Association (union) official Lewis Long, regarding that room. Here it is in full:
Dean Karima Feldhus' email of October 8, 2013 partially addresses the issue and thank you for your response. However, the test results forwarded confirming high levels of mold in A205 raises further questions.
1) What compensation is available to faculty who were sick, went to the doctor and incurred co-payments as well as our share of the cost of office visits as well as prescription costs? How do we file claims for reimbursement?
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The heartbreak of moldy
anthropology |
2) I have been sick since July 3rd. What type of compensation is available for almost 90 days of not being able to breathe? Other faculty and students have been sick as well. How will the district address this?
3) I did not cancel classes but I know that some of my colleagues who taught in A205 in the summer of 2013 did have to cancel classes. Is there a way to make sure that their sick leave is not charged?
4) I have five students (that I know of) this semester who are sick and have been diagnosed with bronchitis and upper respiratory infections. How will the district compensate the students for their medical expenses?
5) What safeguards are in place to ensure that the other classrooms and offices in A200 are safe for faculty and students. Mold usually does not affect one room.
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| They keep forgetting to lock the door. |
6) Of course, the larger question is: What procedures are in place at the college to address the situation when four faculty members teaching in the same classroom are diagnosed with upper respiratory illnesses? After I found out about the related upper respiratory illnesses of four faculty members whose only common denominator was teaching in A205 in the summer of 2013, I reported the situation to Vice President of Instruction Craig Justice during the first week of instruction, August 19, 2013. He subsequently indicated that testing was being done on the HVAC system. However, and most importantly, classes remained in A205 until Thursday, October 2, 2013. That means that our faculty and our students remained in a classroom contaminated with mold for seven weeks after the problem was reported. Additionally, even though the classroom was closed on October 2, 2013 and a sign with instructions "DO NOT ENTER" was placed on the door, Dean Karima Feldhus and I witnessed classes being held in A205 on October 2, 2013. Further, on October 2, 2013, when I showed up for my 12:30 class, the "DO NOT ENTER" sign was posted on the door, the door was unlocked, the lights were on, and my students were sitting in the classroom. What procedures and lines of communication need to be established to prevent this from happening in the future?
In conclusion, this situation directly pertains to faculty work conditions. I would like to formally request that the Faculty Association, in consultation with the District, establish procedures for protecting the health of our students and faculty with a detailed debriefing of what happened in A205. The A200 building has a long history of mold dating back to 1990 as does the A100 building. There is a documented history at the college of employees suffering as a result of mold contamination. We do not know how many of our students have been affected. It was obvious that four faculty members diagnosed with upper respiratory illnesses in the summer of 2013 was not a coincidence. Given the long history of mold, the classroom should have been immediately closed and then testing should have begun rather than allowing 7 weeks of further exposure and suffering during the testing. Given the long history of mold at the college, I would think that in order to ensure student success, there should be procedures in place to immediately address mold related illnesses which have been frequent and sustained since 1990. This is not the first incident of mold related illnesses. Students and faculty cannot learn and be successful in an environment contaminated with mold.
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| Reportedly, an "unpleasant growth" in the west wall |
Many thanks to Elizabeth Chambers who informed me that my symptoms were the same as another faculty member's symptoms, otherwise I would have thought that is was just me as we all did, including our students. Dr. Chamber's comment prompted me to inquire a bit further and discover that every instructor teaching in A205 during the summer of 2013 was diagnosed with upper respiratory infections. Also thank you to Dean Karima Feldhus who attempted to assist in the regulation of the temperature in A205 and was informed that the choice was an igloo or a sauna. Obviously, I should have opted for the igloo. But why is an igloo or a sauna the choice?
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| We're on the case, as usual! |
Please forward my email to the Faculty Association and the college and district administration as necessary in resolving the issues I have raised.
On behalf of the affected faculty members and students, I am formally requesting a response from the Faculty Association regarding the issues I have raised.
Sincerely,
Wendy Gabriella
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8 comments:
They were too busy landing a helicopter or writing a resolution or renting tuxes for the gala. I don't think I have ever seen Glenn walk the halls of A-200 and see what the classes are like or just say hello to students and staff. It's all photo ops and press releases. Perhaps he is afraid of the mold or us or both.
The reports reveal high amounts of Stachybotrys (aka black mold) in the west wall.
The request for testing was received by the agency conducting the testing on Sept. 17 and tests were done three days later.
Glenn knows all about the conditions in A-200. He's been here over twenty years. He doesn't care. We are yards away from his office but he is never over to see what it's like for us. Don't hold your breath waiting to see him stroll the halls to say hello.
Better yet, hope for the trustees to visit. They should ask for a tour of the classrooms and offices and restrooms - and then query why so many of us labor in those conditions while A-100 gets a makeover every two years. Remember our working conditions are our students' learning conditions.
Is it really only in that one classroom and not in adjacent classrooms or offices?
This kind of event is exactly why they don't want a newspaper here (and the Lariat is NOT ours no matter how hard they try r what they say).
Did anyone ever report these conditions to District Risk Management? Isn't that department responsible for managing any health risks to students and employees? Does anyone know?
What DO they tell students? Staff?
9:37am - correction, A-100 gets a makeover every 6 months!
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