Administration takes immediate measures
by Dennis Dobson, reporter

    NW Campus administrators took immediate action following last week’s student forum (see adjoining story).

   Vesta Wheatley, director of student activities, said following the forum, Dr. Joe Rode, dean of student development and educational services, accompanied students to two campus locations, about which complaints had been lodged.

   “Because both of the issues were safety related, Dean Rode wanted to address both issues immediately after the forum concluded,” she said.

   To investigate the issue of a natural gas leak and faulty plumbing in the science labs, Rode and the student who addressed the problem visited the labs.

   Neither a plumbing problem nor a gas leak was detected during their visit. However, to be sure, the next day an environmental safety inspector was called in to check for any signs of a gas leak. He also found no problem.

   In response to the issue of the lights not being on in the Node, a potential safety risk for students after dark, Rode and some of the students walked out to the Node. All the lights were on and working.

   Wheatley and Rode said that every issue presented at the student forums is taken seriously and acted upon.

   Each issue is reported to the department it concerns, and that department is required to check the situation and make any corrections required, Wheatley said.

   “Because both of these issues involved the safety of the students, they were looked into immediately because the students come first,” she said.