Both elevators on the north side of MUN’s University Centre had been “out of order” since last Friday, around 7:00 p.m, however one of the two elevators has been returned to service Thursday afternoon.
For students unable to use the stairs, this had left 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 had remain accessible, just with detours, accessing their services is exponentially more difficult for those who rely on elevators.
In general 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.”
UPDATE:
Facilities Management provided a statement and corrected the previous version of this article.
“This unplanned issue occurred while the other elevator was down for planned upgrades and maintenance. Unfortunately, the other elevator was too far into the planned maintenance process to put back into service immediately. It also occurred while the only certified technician in the province to address the situation was out of the province, leading to this unexpected and challenging situation.
“We recognize the impact this outage had on students. The Blundon Centre and Student Wellness and Counselling Centre worked with students to find alternative accommodations where possible.”
“Currently, campus users can use the elevator located next to the one that’s out of order. Updates will be provided via the accessibility channel in MUN Safe. Please subscribe for the latest information.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article failed to reflect that one of two elevators was put back in the UC was put back in service on Thursday afternoon. The Muse apologizes for this error.