SED is Seriously Suffering, while SMG Steals the Spotlight

This is my second year working in SED. I’ve really enjoyed the environment, except for one important thing; it rains inside. The Instructional Materials Center (IMC), for example, serves as the main computer and technology lab for students and faculty within the school. It’s really too bad then, that every time it rains, the computers, printers, copiers, and cameras are in serious danger of water damage. Just the other day, maintenance staff was in taking care of the leaky ceilings again. It’s already been taken care of two times this semester, but nobody doubts the fact that they will be in SED again come the next big rain. In fact, SED probably has the biggest collection of empty trash cans and buckets in the greater Boston area and I’m sure BU spends more on replacing soggy ceiling tiles than they are willing to admit.

When asked how easy it was to deal with maintenance issues within SED, Carol Crossen, the Director of Finance, said it was “impossible.” Although leaky roofs are the biggest concern within SED, the worries don’t stop there. Crossen explained to me that the heating and air conditioning system is old an inefficient which means it requires some new air conditioning installation. Some rooms are so hot that students fall asleep, while others have personal space heaters to try to keep the room at a manageable temperature. With space heaters plugged in to an old building, blown fuses are common as well. It’s not the maintenance staff that is the issue, however. “[Custodians] do come,” Crossen said, “they put down buckets and replace tiles and fuses, but the building just needs some major repairs.” Some students and faculty members have expressed worries that the insulation or carpet floors might be rotten or moldy. Because of this, BU has brought out architects and roofers but all they can say is that the problem isn’t easily remedied and to truly fix the building would be a very expensive project.

SED’s state of disrepair is only exaggerated by its location across from SMG, a building with marble floors, a grand staircase, and heated sidewalks out front. Almost everything in SMG is accompanied by a wooden plaque with gold writing, explaining who donated it to the school. The building is new and nice, with recessed lights and abundant windows that highlight the expensive looking finishes and artwork inside. This isn’t to say that SMG is a problem free. When asked about the difference in issues between SED and SMG, Roger Seale, the building manager, encouraged me to remember that SMG was a much bigger scale building to take care of. Considering the size of the building, there are just as many, if not more maintenance related issues to deal with, Seale said. SMG certainly isn’t problem free, but, other than regular maintenance issues, SMG certainly doesn’t have the same structural problems that SED does.

Members of SED also wonder why BU is putting up a new East Campus Student Center when there are existing buildings that are in need of serious repair. Though no one I spoke to was vocal about placing blame, it does seem unfair that SED is left in disrepair while BU is spending what they estimate to be a total $65 million on the new building.

The SED situation seems to reflect all too closely the general attitude towards teachers in this country. Even with all the maintenance issues aside, SED just isn’t as nice a building as many other places on campus. A friend once told me, “Everyone knows that how nice the schools are reflect how much money you’ll make later on. Things like CAS are somewhere in the middle, SMG kids should make a lot of money, but going to SED, you’re setting yourself up for not making much.” Since teachers’ salaries are paltry compared to those of business executives, SED alumni can’t be expected to make the huge donations that SMG alumni do. Shouldn’t BU as a whole take more care to make a better learning environment for the students who want to become teachers? After all, it’s the teachers in SMG that are helping to turn students into business successes in the first place.

All photographs by Ashley Hansberry.

The Commonwealth Avenue Entrance to SED

 

The Commonwealth Avenue Entrance to SMG

 

The Silber Way Entrance to SED

 

The Silber Way Entrance to SMG 

 

The SED Lobby 

 

The SMG Lobby, as seen from the Second Floor Balcony 

 

The SED Stairwell Door

 

The SMG “Grand Staircase”

 

Buckets are scattered throughout SED because of frequent leaks

 

A large skylight sits above the SMG Lobby

 

In SED, some of the signs are just laminated paper

 

In SMG, many of the signs are wood plaques with shiny gold

About Ashley Hansberry

Ashley Hansberry (CAS '14) is the Senior Editor at The Quad. She is a senior studying Computer Science and Linguistics who likes writing about robots, technology, and education. When she's not living in the computer science lab, you can find her wearing animal earrings or admiring puppies she sees on the street.

View all posts by Ashley Hansberry →

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