Both elevators on the north side of MUN’s University Centre have been “out of order” since last Friday, around 7:00 p.m. For students unable to use the stairs, this leaves four of the six floors completely inaccessible and cuts off in-person access to several vital student services.
Among the currently inaccessible services are the Blundon Centre on the 4th floor, the Disability Information and Services Centre (DISC) on the second floor, the MUNSU office on the 2nd floor, and the Student Wellness and Counselling Centre on the 5th floor.
Though the first and third floors remain accessible, just with detours, accessing their services is exponentially more difficult for those who rely on elevators.
The impact of the elevator closures is not limited to MUN’s community.
The University Centre is open 24 hours a day and serves as a pedestrian overpass for Prince Philip Drive, a busy road notoriously risky for pedestrian crossings. It also houses convenience services and fast food restaurants, accessible to the community at large.
The University Centre MetroBus stop — a point where many routes converge — is also located on the north side of the UC. Students who take the bus and require the use of the elevator are left looking for an alternate way to access the rest of campus after arriving at the bus stop on the first floor.
For those looking for alternate accessible routes to and from the UC in the meantime, here are a few options:
- Core Science Facility – connected to 3rd floor UC by skywalk
- Chemistry-Physics Building – connected to 3rd floor UC by skywalk
- Earth Sciences Building – connected to 3rd floor UC by skywalk
- Munnels from QEII Library – connected to 1st floor UC (south side) by indoor walkway
- All routes to the 1st floor UC (north side) from the south side of campus require outdoor travel. To avoid crossing any roads, exit through the Core Science Facility.
Some students believe it is unacceptable for both elevators to be closed down while campus is fully operational, especially during midterm season when accessing campus services is not only helpful, but necessary for many students.
Extended outages like this can be a detriment not only to the lives of the students and staff directly affected but also to the quality of MUN’s essential services.
DISC staff member Sanaa Mrad made a post on the MUN Students Come Together Facebook group, saying that the outages are “causing major difficulties for students, especially those with disabilities or mobility challenges.
“This issue limits students’ accessibility across campus, making it harder for students to attend classes, participate in events and activities, or even just moving around between floors safely.”
According to an alert on the MUN Safe app on Monday afternoon, the elevators will likely be operational again by end-of-day Friday. However, signs posted on the elevator doors do not indicate a date or time for resumed service.