Though some of the blue fences have been taken down, campus construction is not complete. However, administration said they are working with what they have to address concerns about phone service and Wi-Fi connectivity.
Vice President of Administrative Services Rolf Schleicher spoke about campus safety for Pierce faculty and students at Monday’s Academic Senate meeting. He updated the senate about the safety improvements that have been made.
Members of the senate were particularly concerned about the lack of cell phone and internet access in the Center for Sciences. Bonnie Lemus, a nursing instructor, said she is unsatisfied with the limited Wi-Fi access.
“They have no cell phone coverage or internet access in the Center for Sciences building,” Lemus said. “Not only does it interfere when being able to making presentations to students, it interferes with emergency access we might need.”
Schleicher said that building upgrades were made 10 years ago, and the CFS was not designed or constructed for cell phone and PC access.
“The world has changed, and everyone wants cell phone and internet access. The problem is that the walls are impenetrable, so there is not enough Wi-Fi in every classroom,” Schleicher said. “We are spending millions of dollars to upgrade.”
Scheicher also addressed the issue about the blue construction fences. He said that the fences were up too long because of an issue with the contractors.
“We had fences on campus since I have been here,” Schleicher said. “They were located in areas near the North of the Mall. I needed these upgrades right now, primarily for students and faculty. I had my crew come in during the break and remove the fences.”
Vice President of Student Services Earic Dixon-Peters said improvements have been made for safety on campus.
“Our protocols are already in place, so we are following up on what we can do better,” Dixon-Peters said. “The main issue is to continue to revisit our policies and practices and to make sure our campus is vigilant. We encourage anyone if you see something say something.”
Dixon-Peters said preparation for emergency situations is a priority for the campus community.
“In this society, how we are living right now, it is unfortunate that we are in a situation that we do not know what will happen next, so our best measure in defense is to be prepared,” Dixon-Peters said.