City College takes Urgent Action to Fix Heating Issues and Keep Students Warm After Emergency Meeting
March 14, 2023 (San Francisco) –
Over this past winter and spring, City College students and staff have had to endure cold classrooms as a result of poor heating at multiple City College campuses and centers, including but not limited to, the Mission, John Adams, Wellness Center, Creative/Visual Arts, and Science buildings. City College administration took interim measures including providing hand warmers and portable space heaters. However, classrooms can reportedly only field one portable space heater due to the electrical circuits unable to handle multiple space heaters and many class classrooms still cool down to 40 degrees.
“Faculty and students have been recording the temperature at our Mission campus classes,” said Ingrid Farnbach, a City College English as a Second Language instructor. “Multiple classrooms regularly get down to the 40s in degrees. Faculty are having to come early to class to turn on portable heaters and even that barely increases the temperature by a few degrees.”
Some of the heating problems stem from boilers that have been maintained beyond their useful life but now are irreparable and need to be completely replaced and high pressure underground steam pipes that need replacement due to leaks. Many faculty have advised their students to wear thick layers of clothing, coats, or gloves to stay warm. Unfortunately, many students have reportedly dropped their classes due to concerns for their own health and safety in the cold classrooms.
As a result of these reported conditions, Board President Alan Wong invoked his right to call an emergency board meeting to put pressure on administrators to urgently resolve the heating problems.
“These heating issues at our campuses are unacceptable. These conditions are not conducive to learning. I feel frustration and anger as I hear about students that have to use hand warmers in class to keep warm. City College must take decisive and immediate action or risk losing students,” said Board President Wong. “As long as our students are not getting heat, the heat should be on us to take urgent and immediate action to take care of our students.”
The Board of Trustees approved $2.6 million worth of boiler replacements and facilities fixes for Mission, John Adams, and Wellness Center. However, the boiler replacement projects will not get completed until near summer 2023. City College administrators also committed to increased facilities staffing, including proposing 25 new facilities positions. City College administrators were also given guidance by the Board to untangle bureaucratic hurdles to allow expedited class relocation, fix electrical issues, and consider portable power generators.
“It is a disservice to our students and staff that they have had to wait so long. I want to let students and staff know that I see you and I hear you and will do whatever it takes to keep everybody warm. This approval of $2.6 million worth of facilities fixes is just the start. We need to staff up our facilities department and take immediate action to relocate classes to warmer locations.”
