UAPB officials respond to dormitory complaints

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff officials have responded to a student protest that called them out over the conditions of residential areas and access to buildings currently undergoing renovations.

The officials explained Friday, one day after the demonstration at the William Edward O’Bryant Bell Tower, how the university has tackled the encroachment of mold and mildew at the all-female Delta Residence Hall, south of Simmons Bank Field at Golden Lion Stadium, and given an update on two facilities that have undergone renovations. Rodent infestation, officials said, has also been reported at the Harrold Complex, across from the cafeteria on L.A. “Prexy” Davis Drive.

“We believe, based upon what our contractor teams have indicated to us, it is essentially in the way the dormitory was built,” said Carla Martin, vice chancellor for finance and administration, when asked what led to the mold and mildew at Delta. The Delta I wing was completed in 2003 and the Delta II addition in 2017.

“It was built very much like a hotel where you’ve got the long hallway and rooms on each side with individual units,” Martin said. “I think the only difference between a dormitory and a hotel is normally ventilation in the hall of a hotel, but there is not ventilation in the hall at our Delta dormitory, which makes the units and humidity in Arkansas work harder and not be able to dissipate as quickly.”

The university, Martin said, will use federal covid-19 funding to remedy the issue with the heating, ventilation and air conditioning by installing airflow and ventilation systems in the hallways.

UAPB received final approval from the state to spend the money this past week, Martin said, and school officials now can talk with contractors about starting the project.

Students were relocated to other residence halls on campus as professional companies were called to rectify the mold and mildew problems at Delta, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Elbert Bennett said.

“We went to great lengths in making sure our students’ needs were met,” Bennett added. “I grant you living in another dorm may not be like living in Delta II or even Delta I. They are very nice dorms. But things happen, and we did everything to accommodate our students and make them comfortable.”

Harrold Complex, built in 1964, gives UAPB officials more of a challenge, according to Bennett, because more students and community facilities are in that dormitory. Bennett said the university has spent about $8 million on Harrold’s HVAC system and making other repairs, as well as $100,000 to renovate the kitchen.

“We’ve gone to great lengths and great measures to make sure we do improvements in those facilities every year,” he said.

Bennett said he received a call Thursday morning about the student protest, which he said shocked him and other faculty members.

“No one had come to sit down with me or the SGA [Student Government Association] president to say, ‘These are our concerns,'” Bennett said. “When I met with Trent [Wills] this week, his top priority was having a meeting on campus with state Rep. [Vivian] Flowers concerning the $330 million the federal government said was owed UAPB.”

A message seeking comment was left for Wills in his social media inbox.

“I think many of us are learning about these immediate concerns from [Thursday’s] protest because they have not personally been made available to me,” Martin said.

She clarified the L.A. Davis Student Union and the auditorium at the Hathaway-Howard Fine Arts Center have undergone renovations in recent years. The music, band and art wings of the Fine Arts Center are in working condition, she said.

The Fine Arts Center initially went offline following the snowstorms of February 2021 due to pipes bursting in the bottom of the building, flooding all the electrical, mechanical and plumbing works, Martin said. All new controls have been put in, she said, and the music and art wings became operational again.

But as officials worked on the Fine Arts Center, Martin said, an individual set fire to the auditorium on Nov. 5, 2021, in what she called an act of arson. That space had to be gutted, she said.

“To the best of my knowledge, we don’t know who the individual is,” Martin said.

According to a statement from UAPB, students also cited issues with access to technology in student housing and dining options. Officials did not address these matters during Friday’s interview.

Chancellor Laurence B. Alexander, according to the release, stated the administration had already scheduled an executive cabinet meeting with the Student Government Association prior to the protest, at which time a campus town hall would be scheduled.

“I look forward to meeting with students to address their concerns, and I commend our students for exercising their right to protest,” Alexander said in a statement. “We are committed to actively seeking solutions through dialogue and action and look forward to meaningful engagement with students at our campus town hall, which will be planned with our Student Government Association at a meeting with the University’s executive cabinet next week. As chancellor, my top priorities include transparency and responsiveness to our students’ needs. We endeavor to work continually to make our campus environment inclusive, supportive and responsive for all.”

Bennett said UAPB isn’t holding up any progress on its residential and academic buildings, adding construction can be time-consuming.

“Students don’t quite understand that when you have insurance involved in it, you have legal issues to make sure things happen. You can’t just say, ‘OK, we need to go in and do that.’ The insurance company has to be in agreement.”