Mold growth and air conditioning leaks are affecting the DMC Heritage Campus Fine Arts Center

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Access behind these audio and production room doors at the Fine Arts Center on the Del Mar College Heritage Campus has been restricted due to concerns about mold and HVAC unit leaks.

“I was sitting here, seemingly in shape, and it felt like everyone knew about it but me,” said Rachel Jennische, lecturer in digital media, radio and television.

It seemed like Jennische had a communication gap after she first noticed the problem of mold and air conditioning issues in her office – Room 163D. The site has since been closed and is being worked on by contractors from Wednesday morning.

“I didn’t know I had a leak in my radio studio. So I get up to check and suddenly water is pouring from the ceiling. Then we have these soundproofing tiles that actually fell off the wall,” Jennische said.

It was in January when Jennische filed a complaint about her discovery with the Fine Arts Center building manager. Immediately afterward, Jennische told Neighborhood News reporter Alexis Scott that the building manager took photos and videos and notified the assistant maintenance director of the concerns.

After that, Jennische was not given any news about the status of things.

As recently as April, Jennische saw caution tape and “No Trespassing” signs near her office.

“So I worked in that area. In the summer I should actually get some computers installed for me. The person texted me and said, “Hey, I've finished installing except for this area.” That's the area right in front of my office. He says, “It's full of mold.” “Well, why do you know that and I don't know that,” Jennische said.

That was in July. Jennische added that her audio and production classes have been moved to other rooms within the facility.

“We have older pieces in the building,” Jennische told Scott. “I don’t want to say we have to deal with it, but we do. But there seems to be some sort of lack of communication about them even working on anything, and there seems to be a lack of mold prevention growth.

Her office and classroom are not the only rooms in the Fine Arts Center experiencing this problem.

Scott was informed that the Arts and Theater Department had previously closed the Barlett Theater in September 2023 due to water leaks that caused the floor to decay and mold to form. As of October 2024, the theater remains closed with a warning notice on the outside of the door.

The college's vice president of facilities, John Strybos, said as soon as his team is notified of any issues at the facility, they immediately begin troubleshooting the problem. When asked when Strybros was made aware of the mold growth, he couldn't remember the date.

“I don't remember a specific date on a specific topic. “We have a lot of problems here,” Strybos said. “Some of the complaints are made and simply need to be routed through the system. Even if the problem was identified several months ago, we are dealing with it as quickly as possible.”

Strybos told Scott that an outside consultant came by, conducted a tape test and confirmed that there was indeed mold in the affected rooms. This is used to examine the extent of mold infestation on a surface. The test tape is then placed under a microscope and analyzed to determine whether the surface is safe or saturated with mold.

Del Mar College reiterated that the tape test did not identify the sample as black mold.

“They put up a protective barrier so they can do the job and the mold doesn't come out of the room, so they're cleaning the mold now.”

According to author Bill Eaves of the campus publication Foghorn News, a medical health and safety publication, the mold has been confirmed to be a fungus that causes fungal eye infections and possible respiratory problems in people.

Data also attributed to the World Health Organization and other health authorities also confirm the severity of health problems that people can suffer when exposed to emerging pathogens.

“This particular issue will be less than $50,000 when we add up all the costs. “Yes, there will be mold, there will be air conditioning issues, but we have a plan to address those issues,” Strybos said.

He also mentioned that the college has over $2 million in deferred maintenance funds in the next fiscal year.

Jennische said she has currently been updated on all updates related to her office and classrooms affected by mold and HVAC leaks.

As of now, there is no information on when contractors will finish cleaning up the mold and repairing the non-functional HVAC units.

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