Many students living in N.C. Central University’s dormitories sleep in rooms that are either unbearably hot or freezing cold.

And students are saying that it’s taking too much time for the problem to be addressed.

“One minute it’s real hot and the next it’s cold,” said criminal justice junior Latoya Keaton. “It’s terrible.”

Some students get no relief from the temperature problem, despite constant complaining.

Clarence King, assistant director of facilities for residential life, said students should report temperature issues to resident directors, who will then report to him so that he can notify the physical plant.

But many students said they have followed the correct procedures and gotten no results.

“I complained countless times to my RA [resident assistant] to the RD [resident director] and I called residential life” said Elizabeth Kennedy, a nursing sophomore. “Supposedly they fixed it, but there is definitely no change.”

English sophomore Wayne Oatis said he doesn’t understand why students are discouraged from calling the physical plant directly.

“Why shouldn’t I call physical plant they are the ones who will fix the problem?” he asked.

King said work orders have to go through residential life for many reasons.

For one thing, King said, “physical plant pertains to the entire campus, and the students need more personalized attention.”

“I can give a more detailed description to the physical plant as to what the problem is.”

Duane Knect, director of physical plant and facilities, said the primary objective of the physical plant is to serve the students.

“If you are sitting in a room that is too cold or too hot, we don't know and we won’t know until we receive notice from residential life,” Knect said.

Political science sophomore Erika Thomas echoed Oatis’s feelings about the disconnect between students and the physical plant.

“It seems like things could be done in a more timely manner if students could just call the physical plant directly,” she said.