Campus Update – Mar 3, 2025

SRU is taking the following steps to evaluate the causes and implement reforms regarding the University’s preparedness related to recent power and HVAC outages, as mentioned in President Karen Riley’s message to campus last week:

1.     Supporting our students

• The University has expanded the contracts with two electrical contractors, Right Electric and Blackhawk Neff, to include 24/7 emergency response and consultative services to investigate issues and facilitate repairs as promptly as possible.
• The University will have multiple contracted HVAC technicians on site, joining our dedicated in-house staff, to provide real-time assistance for student concerns during the beginning of each semester.
• Emergency supplies are being sourced and funded to keep in inventory; they include sleeping cots, chargers, flashlights, emergency blankets, portable HVAC units, power strips, and basic hygiene items.
• Housing plans include the ability for students to access their rooms to retrieve clothing, bedding, and basic toiletries, as well as a supply of pillows and blankets that may be provided to students unable to access their rooms. 
• Aramark will increase their on-site inventory of bottled water and nutritional snacks for emergency use.

2.     Building a resilient infrastructure 

• Water filtration systems have been installed on the main cooling tower water supply and building heating/cooling loop for Buildings D and E, with four additional buildings scheduled now through Summer 2025.  
• Heat pumps in Buildings D and E were replaced in 2019. A multi-year, needs-based replacement schedule is being developed for Buildings A, D and F.  
• 40 heat pumps were purchased for inventory in case existing units in Buildings A, B, D and Watson fail.  
• 59 new heat pumps were added and an additional 76 heat pumps for Building F were ordered for installation after the filters are installed.  

3.     Preparing for the future 

• Penn State Facilities Engineering Institute performed infrared scans of buildings impacted by the January power outage and found no additional damage. Upper campus buildings will be taken offline for 4-6 hours during spring break for further inspection and preventative maintenance to the upper campus switchgear. 
• Aebersold Student Recreation Center and Boozel Dining Hall are being prepared for quick connections to building-wide generator backup. The next step is building load studies to determine the size of generators needed for each facility to ensure the University is minimizing its costs and carbon footprint.  
• Morrow Field House is being prepared to receive a dedicated backup generator as part of a design phase expected to begin late 2025.  
• SRU now has spare heat exchanger plates in inventory to reduce the downtime of impacted systems by half should a heat exchanger become clogged with sediment and need to be replaced. Removing a heat exchanger for cleaning typically takes 4-6 hours.