NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Dillard University is taking a proactive approach to help students “cool down” during the seemingly never-ending heat wave.
On Saturday, Aug. 19, officials announced that the campus air conditioner was not working, and that dorms and classrooms felt warmer than normal.
Officials were distributing fans and portable air conditioners were installed in rooms with no cool airflow. A temporary chiller was also installed to help cool the water that runs through the campus-wide HVAC system.
Due to the excessively high temperatures, students, staff and classes have been relocated. Misting and hydration stations are also staged around the campus to ensure self-care while moving in.
Dillard University’s President Dr. Rochelle Ford says these changes will benefit the campus in the long run.
“The reality is that these steps will help us to be a lot more energy efficient, turning off the lights, that’s going to save on electricity, you know, doing your laundry in the evening, that’s going to help us be a more sustainable campus, so not only will this help us beat the heat, but at the end of the day, it’s going to help us be to be a lot more green university,” said Ford.
Out of an abundance of caution for health and safety, the university enacted its DU Campus Cool Down. The initiative encourages community members to stay inside between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Other suggestions for cooling down the campus include unplugging electrical devices, lowering blinds, and waiting to do laundry until sunset.
“As the heat continues to make extreme demands on our power grid, Dillard is encouraging all members of our communiversity to participate in a campus demand response program and DU-HEAT. Demand response refers to initiatives encouraging consumers to shift electricity use from high-demand times to times when the need is lower and electricity is more plentiful,” said university officials.
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