Work underway on student residence halls

The hall undergoing the biggest change is Threlkheld, where a routine inspection determined that mold was present in about half of the rooms, according to university officials.

“After we completed our inspection it was pretty clear that the wooden wardrobe units were causing the problem,” said Housing Director Shannon Staten. “So, just to be safe, we decided to replace all wardrobe units in Threlkheld, as well as many of the desks and chairs.”

Inspectors also checked out other residence halls and found trace areas of mold in Miller and Unitas. The affected areas in Miller have been corrected and the hall is ready for students to return. Work is still underway in Unitas but is expected to be complete by mid-August.

University officials are being extra vigilant after problems with mold growth caused the closing of Miller Hall last October. More than 250 students were moved to other locations until the hall could be reopened in January.

Staten said the mold found this summer is not as pervasive as what was found last year in Miller.

All university affiliated residence halls have been inspected and are expected to be open by Aug. 12.