Faculty recall mold problem in summer

By Andrea Vukcevic
Features Editor

In early August, English professor Dr.
Kay McClanahan entered her office in the
Dial Humanities building and encountered a
“very vile odor” that only got worse as weeks passed.

Other faculty members confirmed the smell. Physical Plant workers scoured for the
source, literally sniffing every corner of the
room. Finally, they peeled the wallpaper underneath the window and revealed mold.

“It was just black, nasty, gross stuff,” she said.

Workers stripped the wallpaper, scraped off the mold, washed the wall with a bleach solution and painted it. The same procedure occurred in adjoining offices belonging to Dr. Susan Cannata and Dr. Patricia Valenti.

“After that, life was good,” McClanahan said.

Mold was apparently found behind a blackboard in Room 153 when it was replaced in June.
“They kept telling us it was dirt,” said McClanahan. “If dirt smelled that way, we’d all be throwing up constantly.”

History professor Dr. Julie Smith saw mold on the ceiling in Room 214 in August.

“Students were getting dripped on,” she said.

A statistical analysis confirmed the presence of many types of mold in the air and on the walls of the Dial building, which was closed on October 16.

According to Chancellor Allen Meadors, Dial will reopen next fall.

Several professors feel Meadors’ prediction is optimistic and wish the sudden shutdown of Dial had been averted. They blame stalled communication between department chairs and high-level administration.

“All of the department chairs worked to get some action on the mold for several months,” said history professor Dr. Bruce DeHart. “It is certain that mold was discovered at some point in the summer and [department] chairs sent emails to Lumbee Hall before October.”

On Oct. 30, Vice Chancellor for University and Community Relations Dr. Glen Burnette sent an email to faculty and staff to update them on the Dial situation and dispel rumors of further closures.

He reminded them that mold has been found statewide as “a result of an extremely wet summer season.”

Recently, North Carolina Central University in Durham closed two dorms due to mold.