Eastern’s faculty is becoming concerned with the state of the former Booth West, which now houses parts of the art department, saying conditions are unfit for teaching and learning.

Senate Chair Anne Zahlan, English professor, told the Senate she talked on the telephone with Jeff Boshart, art professor, who said the building had no restrooms, no computers, no ventilation, no electricity and no water.

Plus, Boshart told Zahlan, materials can’t be unpacked because space is too limited.

Blair Lord, vice president for academic affairs, told the Senate he is very concerned, but the building does have a restroom and the heating and air conditioning work, creating air movement within the building.

The ventilation does not work, however, so the department can’t do certain projects because harmful chemicals would linger in the room.

Renovation of the building, which was expected to be finished in four weeks, is still ongoing after nine weeks of work, Lord said.

Eastern officials are concerned, he added, but have little control over the construction company.

According to Lord, Eastern contracts the space from a landlord, and the landlord contracts the construction company, forcing Eastern to work through the landlord when trying to communicate with the construction company.

The building should be fully usable by October, he said.

In other business, the Senate met with Edwin May, director of research and grants, to discuss federal research funds that are available for Eastern faculty.

To receive funds from any of the more than 100 sources available, interested faculty must send an application to the Council on Faculty Research, which chooses where the funding goes.

Last year, around 15 faculty research projects received $7.8 million in external funding, May said, with the College of Educational and Professional Studies received $2.5 million, the Lumpkin College of Business and Applied Sciences got $2.3 million, the College of Sciences received $1.1 million and the remaining $1.2 million was spread out amongst several groups.

Some Senate members expressed concern that funding was not evenly distributed.

May said certain colleges send more requests because they have more tenure-track faculty who are required by the university to take part in research projects, resulting in certain colleges receiving more funding.

Also, the faculty members on CFR often have less of an understanding for certain proposed projects than they do of the projects related to their own field, leading to vote for funding to go to their college. May urged faculty to write the application so faculty who don’t specialize in the same field understand the project’s significance.

May told the Senate to keep applying for funds because of the nine council members; three spots are open each year. This gives faculty from all departments an opportunity to serve on the council.

May also told the Senate his major goal this year is to find more time for faculty to research projects so they don’t have to do their research projects while teaching a full load of classes.