At the most recent SFU senate open session, President Andrew Petter addressed a question regarding the indoor air quality in the education building put forward by graduate student senator Ehsan Jozaghi.

Jozaghi requested an update on the action taken by administration to address the issue of mould in the education building and Robert C. Brown hall, given that it is an ongoing issue affecting the health of students and faculty working in these buildings.

Petter responded by saying that despite a lack of funding for deferred maintenance, the problem will be handled: “If there is a health issue, or a safety issue, we simply address it. We have to. That means funding has to be reallocated, as it has been from other areas in order to do so.” 

Chief safety officer Terry Waterhouse spoke to the efforts that have been made to communicate with the SFU community about this issue. He explained that the communication process has been a “two-way street.” 

The university has been hearing concerns “openly and thoroughly” from people working in the building by way of direct interviews and surveys. A user working group has been formed and town hall meetings have been held as well; full reports on the education building review and assessment are available online. Waterhouse stressed the importance of transparency in this matter.

Petter concluded that the age of the buildings and lack of resources were at the heart of the issue: “Although we are investing in upgrades, and although we are dealing with safety concerns wherever they may arise, it’s still not enough to compensate for systematic underfunding.”