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President Corrigan's ViewPointViewPoint by President Corrigan is published in First Monday for the faculty and staff at SFSU on the first Monday of the month during the fall and spring semesters by the Public Affairs and Publications offices. EXT 8-1665. pubcom@sfsu.edu |
Last week, I held a meeting with students living in the Residence Apartments and International Community to discuss water intrusion and mold there. I also informed them that the building might be closed for major repairs after commencement, with no assurance that it could reopen for the start of the fall semester.
Though this might seem to be primarily a student concern, I see it as important enough, and with enough ramifications for the broader campus community, that you need to know about it. What follows is a summary of my presentation to the students and the major concerns they raised during a Q&A session that ran for almost 2 1/2 hours.
Despite the two names the residence bears, it is structurally one building. For some years now, water intrusion has been a noticeable problem. Over those years, our people in Physical Planning & Development have dealt aggressively with this, working closely with the contractors to find and eliminate the source of the leaks. At the same time, we have responded to the effects of the leaks by drying out rooms and hallways, replacing carpets, repainting, and the like.
Very recently, in the course of our continuing investigation, we learned that molds often associated with damp buildings have been found in our building. We have been reasonably assured by medical experts that these molds do not pose any immediate threat for most people. Still, the health and safety of our students are our number one priority, and we feel a great responsibility to give these students full, frank, and ongoing information about a still-unfolding situation.
A word here about molds: Mold in itself is not unusual. In a coastal environment like ours, mold is always in the air, indoors and outside. We breathe mold daily. Our concern is with the possible effects of some molds on some people.
How -- and when -- did we learn of the molds? After a major series of repairs by the contractor in 1996 failed to solve the problem, we sought our own experts, and in 1998 we brought in a team of engineers and environmental consultants. We learned from these experts that significant construction defects in the building were allowing water to enter in many places and to stay trapped within the walls. Trapped moisture can lead to mold. Air tests revealed some evidence of mold, but according to our scie ntific consultants, the levels inside the building were not significantly higher than those found in the outside air. No evidence was found of toxigenic -- potentially harmful -- mold. The results of these tests were shared with the contractor, but no agreement could be reached regarding an appropriate repair.
Still looking for a fix, we sought fuller information about the extent and effects of the water damage. This January, during semester break, a group of our engineers and an environmental consultant inspected the building's interior and exterior once again. Their report was delivered to us exactly two weeks ago. The engineers reported that the Exterior Insulation Finish System (EIFS) was the most likely source of the water intrusion. Water was also leaking in around some windows. The environmental ex pert reported finding mold within most of the wall cavities that were opened up. The team did not observe signs of mold inside any of the rooms they inspected.
Tests to identify the kinds of mold we were dealing with inside the walls revealed that in some places, allergenic and toxigenic molds were present. The two species of toxic mold were stachybotrys and aspergillus. How much mold did we have? Air samples taken in the rooms showed slightly higher levels of toxigenic mold than in the outside air. Still, in the consultants' words, these were "trace" or only "slightly elevated" levels, both for the allergenic and the toxigenic mold.
In their report, the consultants did not recommend vacating the building. They did recommend, of course, that we remove the mold and continue to monitor the situation.
Please keep in mind that these molds do not necessarily pose a health problem for most healthy individuals. Some people will not be troubled; others who are sensitive to mold may experience symptoms such as nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, or wheezing. However, as I emphasized to the students, some individuals with particular medical conditions may have more serious concerns. The molds can be a health concern for people with asthma; compromised immune systems (from, for example, HIV, cancer, lupus, o r an organ transplant); people with cystic fibrosis; those taking oral steroids, or those undergoing chemotherapy.
Our next questions were: How much of a health concern is this? At what levels of mold? Over what period of exposure? Frustratingly, these are questions to which there are no definite answers at this time. This is an emerging area of environmental study. There are currently no state or federal standards to guide us, no medical or scientific consensus about safe or unsafe levels of exposure to mold. Each person represents a different health situation, to be weighed individually, perhaps with help fr om a doctor. I urged all students who were concerned to consult Student Health Services as soon as possible.
When we learned of the toxigenic mold, we immediately consulted with health professionals from the California Department of Health Services. They offered suggestions on dealing with this issue in the absence of clear standards or guidelines. We will continue to stay in contact with them.
That is what we currently know. Still to discover: What is the best way to fix the problem? How long will repairs take? What will we do to house the students who would have been in the apartments/International Center next fall, if the building is closed? Will campus housing be available for those students who had planned on living in the apartments during summer session?
We are seeking answers. We will continue to consult with construction and environmental experts to find a permanent solution to both the water intrusion and the mold. We will undertake additional testing immediately. Because there is a strong possibility that the building might not be open in the fall, we are in contact with major residential complexes around town to find replacement housing, should we be unable to accommodate all of these students in on-campus housing next fall.
If we do decide to close, we will let the affected students know immediately. We have pledged that they will have priority for fall housing over all other groups, and they are currently being given the opportunity to contract for units in Centennial Village. We further promised to tell them before the semester ends whether we can assure them of on-campus housing next fall. We will hold a second meeting, exclusively for the international student residents, who have a range of particular concerns.
If any students need to leave the building early because of a doctor's recommendation, we will remit or release them from housing fees for the remainder of the semester and will help them resolve academic, financial aid, and other issues. If the apartment building is closed all summer, we will find a way to provide other campus housing for summer school students. We will do everything we can to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities who need to move.
We will review current Housing policies, such as that setting a minimum age of 20 for Village residence, in light of this new situation. We will continue to communicate with the apartment/International Community residents, and will also provide information for Mary Park Hall and Mary Ward Hall residents. Housing, Enrollment Services, and Student Health Services have set up special teams to handle questions and needs emerging from this situation.
For some of our students, the coming weeks may be an especially stressful time. I trust that you will join with me in doing all that we can to make their lives a bit easier, and to send them home in May with peace of mind and good feelings about their return next fall.
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