Weyburn blunders are UCLA’s responsibility

The university intended Weyburn Terrace to be the ideal home for
graduate students. Instead, the housing project has been plagued by
repeated delays and quality control problems that have made it all
but uninhabitable for many students.

For the residents of Weyburn Terrace, there are lots of reasons
to be angry. All seven units were supposed to be completed by
September 2004. Instead, three were pushed back to 2005, and all
were done later than expected.

The delays have been attributed to supply shortages and high
amounts of rain. Regardless, students have had to pay for the
mistakes contractors made, and the university should have done more
to ensure quality living quarters.

Students were told they would be able to move in before
orientations and classes began. Instead, nearly 100 were forced to
find sublets or accept temporary housing UCLA provided. Some who
had to drive or fly for hours got less than a week’s notice
““ on multiple occasions ““ when move-in dates were
postponed.

To say that UCLA’s communication was poor is an
understatement.

Housing opened many units to students without thorough
inspections. Since Weyburn’s opening, there has been flooding
in three buildings, windows left without glass and problems with
everything from toilets to electric sockets.

It is hard to explain the level of quality and management
problems.

Both housing and construction officials said such problems are
not uncommon, and one contractor attributed the difficulties to
“bad luck.”

But try as they might, administrators and contractors cannot
blame rain or bad luck. The problems suggest carelessness by both
parties.

Housing Director Michael Foraker said he realized there were
problems during construction and met with contractors weekly.
It’s good that he cares, but it’s evident the
department doesn’t have the appropriate infrastructure to
deal with contractors.

In November, Foraker said the delays could cost his department
$5 million in lost rent revenue.

This is money it desperately needs to help pay off its debt and
the project’s $100 million cost.

Also in the fall, Foraker said UCLA would ask contractors to
reimburse it for time lost to reasons other than the weather and
other uncontrollable factors.

The university needs to be firm and make sure it gets what it
requests. At least one of the contractors has other campus
projects, including Hedrick Summit, a new residence hall set to
open in spring 2005.

Weyburn Terrace residents may not benefit directly from any
reimbursements UCLA receives from contractors. But the university
must do everything in its power to keep contractors responsible, so
future students won’t have to move into unfinished apartments
or deal with what this year’s new graduate students went
through.

UCLA and its students cannot afford ““ literally or
figuratively ““ these kinds of construction fiascoes.