CLEMSON — Clemson University received 321 reports or responses to mold in university housing over the past two years, internal university records revealed, an ongoing issue that the university said isn’t caused by malfunctioning systems but by moisture buildup in individual rooms, often due to misuse of thermostat settings.
Two student housing complexes — Lightsey Bridge and Calhoun Courts — accounted for 105 of those cases filed with the university facilities management team between June 2020 and May 2022. The cases encompassed hundreds of rooms in dozens of buildings across the campus.
“I believe there is mold in my apartment,” one student in Calhoun Courts reported in October 2021. “I have had chronic sinus issues since I have arrived and have recently been coughing up black mucus.”
“Have been getting sick a lot and we noticed mold,” a student in Lightsey wrote in a mold complaint in November 2021. “Also want to get our air checked and place looked at for mold.”
Other reports were more simply stated.
“Investigate mold,” one student asked.
“Check room for mold/mildew issues,” another said.
“Mold on ceiling,” read another.
The barrage of cases came at a time when Clemson officials created a new format to systematically respond to issues and elevate mold reports that needed further investigation.It also came as the issue of mold within buildings on university campuses across South Carolina came under the microscope following the death of Amya Carr, a South Carolina State senior student athlete who battled asthma.
The Post and Courier’s Uncovered partners — along with The (Clemson) Tiger — worked together to analyze mold cases and the university’s response as part of the most comprehensive look to date at mold in South Carolina university housing.
Facilities teams and university officials often blame mold cases on poor hygiene from students or on residents’ tampering with room thermostats. The bulk of mold reports at Clemson were addressed quickly by facilities teams, who often cleaned surfaces, vacuumed vents or inspected for water leaks.
Facilities recommended further investigation by Clemson’s Occupational and Environmental Safety office of 81 cases during the two-year span. After interviewing occupants, OES took air measurements for mold in affected rooms.
In 35 cases, OES created reports with recommendations, sometimes for better housekeeping or for facilities teams to clean mold spots or to vacuum dust buildup from air vents. In rare instances, the reports asked facilities teams to seal leaks or explore ways to reduce humidity in rooms to limit mold growth.
In nearly every case, reports didn’t call for further monitoring unless a student complained that symptoms persisted.
Responding to questions by The Post and Courier and The Tiger, Clemson officials said many mold-related complaints were actually a buildup of dust and dirt or involved a room’s odor, temperature or humidity.
“Dust that has become damp from condensation on vents that then sticks to the vent is mistaken for mold quite a lot,” according to the facilities team. “Additionally, fan coil units that blow onto a textured ceiling, causing dust particles to become trapped on the texture generate a large number of calls as well. Poor personal housekeeping and odors related to lack of cleaning are common.”
In some reports, Clemson officials did find visible mold in rooms after students complained about persistent illness.
“University Facilities should clean the visible mold growth on the window seal in Bedroom 2,” one report recommended, along with a request for students to “maintain a log of symptoms in case they persist.”
In November 2020, a student in Byrnes Hall reported getting a rash and itching when entering the dorm over the course of several weeks. A facilities team performed an indoor air quality investigation. It didn’t find mold but did find high humidity. The report recommended investigating ways to reduce the humidity in the room and to make repairs to discoloration on the ceiling. It also recommended better housekeeping by vacuuming the carpets.
Clemson said it wasn’t aware of any negative health issues to students resulting from mold that haven’t already been addressed.
When mold is found, it’s most often due to moisture issues and water intrusion, which can typically be traced to a building or plumbing leak, or to sources of excessive moisture in a room, like wet towels or clothing or even a large number of plants with moist soil, the university said.
“High humidity can occur due to improper settings on the thermostat or issues with the fan coil units,” according to written responses provided by facilities officials.
Officials said most of the mold cases from Lightsey and Calhoun Courts was due to “misuse of residential-style thermostats” where students turn the fan to “on” rather than “auto.”
“This allows the fan to blow out moisture from the coil constantly and does not allow proper dehumidification. Additionally, these thermostats can be manipulated to turn down past the proper set points, which can also lead to damage of the unit and air quality issues.”
Until the Uncovered team asked, Clemson student government leaders said they were unaware of ongoing concerns about mold in university housing and that it hadn’t been a legislative focus on campus.
“Going forward, we will be sure to bring these issues to the attention of the proper administrators, and be sure to bring up these concerns in future meetings with them,” said Student Senator Felder Fogle, chair of Clemson Undergraduate Student Government’s Student Life committee.
A recent report by education facilities institutions Gordian and APPA showed a $112 billion maintenance backlog nationwide at colleges and universities, but at Clemson, leadership said it has no maintenance backlog that could contribute to mold as a problem on campus.
Facilities has funding available to deal with all mold cases and has recurring funds to replace HVAC systems at the end of each system’s life cycle, the university said.
As an auxiliary enterprise, housing doesn’t receive state funding, so its facilities must be self-supporting, the university said.
“Maintenance and repair needs are always considered when making fee determinations so adequate funding is available for building systems and expansions when needed.”
What started as a slight discoloration in the living room ceiling of Clemson senior Star Blevins’ apartment in Calhoun Courts in 2021 soon ballooned and began to drip from a water leak.
Maintenance crews found a leak in the roof, which they patched, and they left the drywall inside to “dry out” with a trashcan beneath it to catch any further leaks, Blevins said.
Crews checked on the spot once a week as the ceiling dried out. But it took three weeks until the problem was solved and mold that had grown on the ceiling was removed, Blevins said.
“Eventually they were able to move the trash can, remove the remaining mold, patch it all up, and put our furniture back where it was supposed to go,” he said.