Hi Paul, The RH here goes below 20% every winter, and I know my predecessor tried for years (never successfully) to do something about it. Since they're knocking the building down after the spring semester, I'm not even mentioning it this year. I have to agree with Alan - make friends with whoever it is that actually does the work. After my office was painted, I was clued in by a savvy administrator that I should deliver a box of donuts to the paint shop. I did so, and now I have some good friends there, who also spread the word about me to their colleagues in the carpentry shop... Zeno Wood Brooklyn College On 12/1/08, Fred Sturm <fssturm at unm.edu> wrote: > Hi Paul, > Condolences on your situation. I think Alan Crane's advice is very > good, and I would certainly do my best to find out specifically who is > the person Richard contacted. He probably built a relationship with > the right person over a number of years, in trying to keep the > humidity control system working. > You committed a bureaucratic sin: you went over the heads of your > immediate superiors. Not a wise thing to do. The best channel is > "around" rather than "over." Over upsets people and gets you in > trouble. Just to put it in perspective, consider how you would feel if > a faculty member went to your director about an issue dealing with > piano maintenance, perhaps something that had been requested and that > you hadn't been able to get around to for various reasons. In any > case, though it may be tempting to use your relationship with an upper > administration person to get results, in the long term it may > backfire, as it has. > At this point, it is history, but a better approach would have begun > with your administrator: "I have contacted facilities about the steam, > and nothing has happened. I am worried about the effect of this dry > condition on the pianos. What can we do?" IOW, start with your > immediate superior trying to remedy the situation. Enlist aid or get > advice. > At this point, I'd still try to find the right person in facilities, > in hopes of being able to establish a direct connection. But keep in > mind that this is just a job. There are things that are outside your > control. You do your best, and that is all you can do. > Our facility regularly (annually) goes from 60% (August/September) to > under 10% (January/February). We have very few soundboards with cracks > (less than 20%, maybe less than 10%), no rib separation issues. So I > wouldn't get too frantic about it. Don't bother with buckets of water. > It won't make any difference. > Good luck! > Regards, > Fred Sturm > University of New Mexico > fssturm at unm.edu > > > > On Dec 1, 2008, at 3:51 PM, Paul T Williams wrote: > >> >> Hi all! >> >> I always appreciate your input. Here's a new twist... >> >> Our building is currently dangerously dry. When Richard West was >> here, the administrative secretary always told him to contact the >> "facilities" people, directly, across campus who controls the campus >> buildings to turn on the steam to remedy the situation. I was also >> told this when I started to do this and and have, regularly. This >> year, I have tried for the last 3 weeks to do this with no >> results. Our humidity, now, is below 20% and the pianos have gone >> completely wacky as you can imagine. >> >> After sending several messages to facilities, I got no results. I >> sent another to our director, and another to the senior vice >> chancellor ( a customer of mine for her personal piano) and other >> esteemed folks. I got a "cease correspondance" message back from >> our director.(probably embarassed) He now states that I have to >> report to the finance/business director, who responds to him, who >> responds to the Dean of Fine Arts, who then calls facilities to turn >> on the humidity!!!!!! Is this the biggest load of political crap >> you've ever heard of?? He states that I have to go through the >> channels of authority to get anything done in "such a large >> university:. With this crap, I might see the steam turned on in >> January!!!! If ever....How come Richard was able to just get the >> steam turned on? >> >> I now fear cracking boards, loose ribs, separating bridges, failing >> glue joints of every kind, and the like. I then went to the >> "finance/business manager" (?) and she said bluntly that she had no >> time to deal with this issue today. >> >> Should I just throw up my hands and say, "whatever"? or should I go >> to Home Depot and buy 110 buckets to put water in and set them under >> each piano to try to help them through their "hospice"???? >> >> HELP!!!! >> >> Paul > >
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