Campus Alerts

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From: Robert Cramer, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration

To the campus community, 

I want to take a moment to share sincere thanks for your assistance and efforts as we work together to mitigate the impact of a broken chilled water line which has significantly limited our ability to keep campus cool.  

As was shared in the last update, a portion of UW–Madison campus buildings are now closed to the public and are not being cooled as we redirect our capacity to priority areas. Other buildings are experiencing higher than normal temperatures and humidity.  

Importantly, campus is still open and operating. While we remain open, the health and wellbeing of our faculty, staff, students and many visitors remain paramount, and we thank you for continued attention to our updates, designed to promote safety while we pursue our mission. 

Many have asked when we expect this situation to be resolved, and our estimate continues to be one month or more. Buildings, which will be marked by signs and have limited custodial services, are expected to remain closed until the repairs are completed, regardless of outdoor temperatures. 

The UW–Madison community has stepped up and asked how to help. There are simple actions that we all can take to limit the impact and help conserve energy, which include:

• Turning off lights. 

• Limiting entry and exit of buildings. 

• Keeping blinds or window treatments closed. 

• Not opening windows to outside air (which makes buildings warmer). 

• Avoiding bringing in window or personal air conditioning devices. (Standard personal fans are permitted.) 

• Turning off heat generating equipment not currently in use. Please do not unplug shared refrigerators.  

This is a complex set of circumstances, and we have set up an FAQ page, which we continue to update with more specific impacts.  

In general, we ask that you attempt to resolve specific questions at your local level with your supervisor or manager. Alternatively, you may work with your HR rep, dean’s office or directors on more complex questions. In the event you need help on where to turn for information or to resolve a specific issue, please email ChilledWaterConcerns@wisc.edu. 

We’ll continue to provide updates as we have them on alerts.wisc.edu. Thank you again for your assistance and understanding. 

Please see the following FAQ related to building cooling issues. This document will be updated as new information is available.Translations updated as of June 28.

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• General questions

Why is campus lacking cooling (air conditioning)?

A chilled water main supply line at one of the three heating and cooling plants that serve campus suffered a significant break. Chilled water provides cooling (air conditioning) for campus.

How is campus trying to restore the lost cooling capacity?

In the short term, UW crews have secured and are in the process of installing approximately 30 temporary chillers across campus. However, there will still be a shortfall from our normal cooling capacity until a permanent new chilled water line can be installed. This is expected to take at least one month.

Is campus open for business and operating normally?

Yes, however, some operations are being adjusted. A number of buildings will be without cooling and will be temporarily closed to the public. Other buildings will have limited cooling and experience higher than normal temperatures until a longer-term fix is completed.

Student questions

Is my Summer Term class being relocated?

Students with classes in affected buildings will receive a message from their instructor if their class has been relocated.

What if my class isn’t being relocated, but I am unable to be in a warm building for health reasons?

Contact your instructor. Instructors are being asked to provide reasonable flexibility to students with health conditions affected by heat.

Employee questions

Can I retrieve personal and business items from a building or office that is temporarily closed to the public?

Yes. Buildings will be open for regular business hours on Monday, June 29 and will close to the public and be locked at the end of the day.

If you are unable to collect your items on Monday, please inform your supervisor when you will be accessing them. Use your UW-issued access card or key to access your space and collect your items. 

If you normally do not have after-hours access to your workspace, please work with your supervisor to make appropriate arrangements.

What should I do if my building is open, but I am unable to be in a warm building for health reasons?

Contact your supervisor or manager.

Where can I get additional information about my work location or situation?

See the message sent to all employees on June 28. If your question isn’t answered, contact your supervisor or HR rep.

How do I get an exception to work in my building? 

In rare circumstances, employees may request an exception to allow continued work in a closed building. Contact your supervisor or manager to seek an exception. 

What if I work in a partially cooled building. Do I need permission to work in the office? 

Generally, if your workspace is cooled, employees do not require permission to work in their regular building. If your workspace is in an area that is not cooled, permission is required. Work with your supervisor and your local HR unit to confirm your situation and make appropriate arrangements. 

Visiting campus

I plan to visit UW–Madison this summer.  Are activities like SOAR, campus tours and Office of Admissions and Recruitment events still running?

Yes. Campus is still open for normal business. Program participants will be advised of any changes.

Are Memorial Union and Union South still open?

Yes, however food service at the Memorial Union may be more limited than normal. All dining operations at Union South are unchanged. For more information about campus dining options, visit union.wisc.edu/dine

What if I’m visiting campus or don’t have a parking permit? What should I know? 

There are no additional parking restrictions on campus at this time. Visitor parking remains open and available. Standard parking regulations are still in effect. 

Where can I see more information about my event or program?

Check the website of your event or program to learn about any potential changes or contact the organizer.

Building questions

Why are many buildings unusually warm?

Many buildings will continue to operate with limited cooling. This is being done to conserve and reallocate cooling to priority areas. Other buildings will have their cooling turned off and will be closed temporarily. Again, this step is being taken to conserve and reallocate cooling to priority areas.

Can buildings with cooling turned off still be occupied for normal use?

No. These buildings will be closed to the public at the end of the business day on Monday.  Unless a manager or supervisor grants an exception, employees whose primary work locations are in buildings that have been closed must work with their manager or supervisor to make alternative work arrangements, including temporarily working from home if duties can be performed remotely. Please see the message sent to campus on June 28.

Will closed buildings be secured during this period?

Yes, impacted buildings will be locked and UWPD will provide increased patrols for these facilities.

What happens if I have an event scheduled in a building that has been closed?

If you have questions or need guidance, please contact your supervisor or your building manager. You may also reach out to the Campus Events Services Office for support; however, please note that all campus facilities are experiencing some level of impact and relocations may not be possible. Please share information about any changes with event attendees, and on your website, if applicable.

What should I do if I have a service that is potentially affected?

Contact your dean or director for guidance. Publish information about your changes on your website and notify your key stakeholders.

Are campus childcare facilities affected?

No.

Are campus and youth programs affected?

Youth programming has been identified as a priority for cooling on campus. Program coordinators will communicate directly about any changes.

Is the UW Hospital or are UW Health clinics affected?

No. Normal cooling levels will be maintained for patient care.

Can I bring a portable cooling device and air conditioner to my office if my building is too warm? 

To ensure our building's electrical and cooling systems run efficiently, please do not bring in any personal or window air conditioning units. Standard personal fans are permitted. 

How can I help conserve our cooling and energy intake? 

The UW–Madison community has stepped up and asked how to help. There are simple actions that we all can take to limit the impact and help conserve energy, which include:  

• Turning off lights. 

• Limiting entry and exit of buildings. 

• Keeping blinds or window treatments closed. 

• Not opening windows to outside air (which makes buildings warmer). 

• Avoid bringing in a window or personal air conditioning device. Standard personal fans are permitted. 

• Turning off heat generating equipment not currently in use. Please do not unplug shared refrigerators. 

Will custodial services (cleaning and trash pickup) be available in closed or partially open buildings? 

Services will be limited, and some custodians may be reassigned to other buildings, but custodial staff will continue routine checks on closed and partially closed buildings to monitor for any urgent needs. If there is a space in your building that needs to be urgently addressed, please contact FP&M Physical Plant Customer Service at 608-263-3333. 

Will buildings open if the weather improves? 

Buildings are expected to remain closed until the repairs are completed, regardless of outdoor temperatures. 

Should I unplug our office refrigerator? 

No.  

How will mail and package delivery be managed for closed buildings? 

Inbound mail for closed buildings will be sorted by building and held at the FP&M Services Shop (45 N. Charter St.) for pickup by appointment only. Please note that packages cannot exceed 2' x 2' x 2'; departments are responsible for arranging and coordinating delivery for anything larger. 

For outbound mail, building pickups are temporarily suspended, so staff must drop off items directly at the Charter Street location. Additionally, all UPS shipments must now be requested via the UPS shipping request form. 

Will remodeling and repair work continue in closed buildings? 

All scheduled remodeling and maintenance work will proceed as planned. 

What should I look out for as humidity levels rise in my building? 

Increased humidity can lead to mold growth. Please continue to check your building for dark spots or musty odors. Increased moisture can also lead to pooling water or damp spots on floors that can create slip hazards. Report any concerns to Physical Plant Customer Service.   

How to contact FP&M Physical Plant Customer Service with questions about the building closures 

For questions related to the building closures on campus, contact FP&M Physical Plant Customer Service at 608-263-3333 or ppcustomerservice@fpm.wisc.edu. 

Where do I get more information? 

Contact your supervisor, who can contact your dean’s office. If you need further assistance, contact ChilledWaterConcerns@wisc.edu. 

Parking and transportation

If I am being relocated to a different workspace, where should I park? 

If you have a parking permit, contact your Unit Transportation Coordinator (UTC) to arrange temporary accommodations. Click here to find your UTC and their contact information. 

If you can’t find your UTC, please contact Transportation Services customer service. 

Will I be able to use parking garages located in closed buildings? 

Yes, the garages will remain open at Grainger Hall and 21 N. Park Street. Elevator access may be restricted to card access only.

What should I do with my parking permit while I work from home? 

If you have a current campus parking permit, it will expire on August 31.  

• If you want to stop payroll deductions or receive a refund on your current parking permit, cancel your permit by contacting Transportation Services. Please note that choosing this option means you will forfeit your parking spot through August 31. 

• If you want to hold your parking spot through August 31, keep your permit. Please note: if you choose this option, payroll deductions will continue and you will not receive a refund. 

• Flex permits: If you have a Flex permit, no action is needed. You will not be charged for parking if you are not using your permit. 

If I cancel my parking permit while working from home but want to park on campus before August 31, what should I do? 

There may be parking permits available. Space is limited, and there is no guarantee that permits will be available in your preferred lot. Learn about parking options through the end of summer by contacting Transportation Services. 

You can also park in a campus garage where visitor parking is available. Please note that parking availability varies, and hourly rates apply. 

If I cancel my current parking permit, will my parking application for next year be affected?  

No: canceling your current permit will not affect next year’s parking permits. Transportation Services is currently accepting and processing applications for 2026-27 permits. Approved permits will be valid starting September 1. If you receive an assignment, accept it by the deadline as you normally would. Please contact your Unit Transportation Coordinator (UTC) if you have questions. 

Where can I park if I need to move my belongings to another workspace? 

You can temporarily park in loading/unloading zones in the parking lot at or near the building.

If my bike was relocated, how can I find out where it is? 

Bicycle racks and any bicycles moved to make room for temporary chiller units are relocated within the same building area. If you can’t find your bike, please complete the cyclist and pedestrian feedback form. If possible, please state when and where your bike was last seen and a physical description. 

I have an appointment for my university fleet vehicle. Is Fleet Garage still open? 

Yes. Fleet Garage is open, and you can bring your vehicle in for your scheduled appointment. If you have questions, please contact the garage at 608-262-3555 or fleet@fpm.wisc.edu.  

I have a fleet reservation. Can I still pick up my rental while the building is closed? 

Yes, you may still pick up your vehicle at 27 North Charter Street, Room 110 with your reservation number. Reference the instructions to pick up a reserved Fleet vehicle after hours. 

For additional information visit the Fleet website or contact the Fleet office at 608-262-1307 or fleet@fpm.wisc.edu. 

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Students, faculty and staff,

As I shared on Friday, campus is experiencing cooling (air conditioning) limitations due to a broken chilled water line, which has significantly reduced our cooling capacity. To compound the situation, the coming week is forecast to be one of the hottest of the year, with high humidity and temperatures in the 90s.

UW–Madison Facilities Planning & Management crews have been working to implement short- and longer-term solutions to this problem. Repair is expected to take at least one month.

During this time, campus will remain open for classes, work and normal business. However, we will be making a number of adjustments. They include:

• Temperature adjustments: Beginning today, Sunday, June 28, many campus facilities will see a noticeable increase in indoor temperatures as we allocate our cooling capacity to prioritize critical areas such as patient care, research, and mitigating impacts to in-person instruction.
• Temporary facility closures: A number of buildings (listed below) will have their cooling systems turned off entirely. These buildings will be temporarily closed to the public and locked at the end of the business day on Monday, June 29.

Here’s how these changes will affect you:

Students: A number of Summer Term classes will be relocated. If your class is being relocated, you will receive a message from your instructor informing you of the new location.

Employees: The buildings listed below will operate as usual on Monday and will be temporarily closed beginning Tuesday.

Employees whose primary work locations are in these buildings should follow their normal work schedule on Monday and coordinate with their manager or supervisor to establish and implement alternative work arrangements starting Tuesday and for the duration of the closure.

Options include:

• Working from home if duties can be performed remotely.
• Relocation to an open building on campus.
• Temporary reassignment of duties to enable remote work or relocation.
• In rare circumstances, employees may request an exception from a supervisor or manager to allow continued work in a closed building

Building access: If you work in a building listed below, you should report for work as normal Monday and remove needed items at the end of the day. If you are unable to retrieve your items on Monday, please inform your supervisor when you plan to get them and if you need access to a building in order to do so. We are continuing to assess the situation and additional buildings may be added to this list, if the situation warrants.

Events and services: A number of events and services may be moved, shifted online or otherwise modified. If alerts.wisc.edu does not have the information, check the event or service webpage for the latest updates, or contact the organizer.

On a campus of our size and complexity, there will no doubt be situations that we’re unable to address in this message or require additional assistance. Please see this FAQ or work with your dean or director’s office, supervisor, or building manager to identify a solution.

Finally, we recognize that this is a difficult situation and we’re doing everything we can to resolve it quickly. Part of what makes UW–Madison great is our history of coming together to find solutions that allow us to continue to fulfill our mission, and I have no doubt we will do so again.

Again, thank you for your understanding.

Robert Cramer

Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration

###

The following buildings will be closed to the public and locked as of Tuesday, June 30

• 21 N. Park Street
• 45 N. Charter Street
• Agricultural Hall
• Agricultural Engineering Hall
• Armory & Gymnasium (Red Gym)
• Bascom Hall
• Bradley Memorial Building
• Educational Sciences
• Fleet & Service Garage
• Grainger Hall
• Henry Taylor Hall
• Hiram Smith Hall
• Ingraham Hall
• Kurt F. Wendt Commons 
• Music Hall
• North Hall
• Radio Hall
• Science Hall
• Service Memorial Institute
• South Hall
• Stock Pavillion
• William H. Sewell Social Sciences Building
• William S. Middleton Building

The following buildings will be generally closed to the public, but have partial access and cooling preserved for specialty areas and functions. FP&M staff are working with building managers on detailed plans.

• 445 Henry Mall
• Below Alumni Center (One Alumni Place)
• Bardeen Medical Laboratories
• McArdle Building
• Medical Sciences Center
• Nancy Nicholas Hall
• University Club (432 East Campus Mall)
• Van Hise Hall 
• Van Vleck Hall
• Vilas Communication Hall
• W. J. Brogden Psychology Building

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To: All students, faculty and staff

From: Robert Cramer, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration

I’m writing today to share information about the reduced availability of cooling in campus workspaces beginning next week.

On June 17, we experienced a broken chilled water line, which has significantly reduced the cooling (air conditioning) capacity for our campus. As a result, UW–Madison campus buildings are experiencing higher than normal temperatures and humidity. Compounding matters, the forecast for the coming week has summer temperatures climbing into the 90s.

Importantly, campus remains and will remain open for business. Campus leadership is prioritizing patient care and research laboratories for cooling, so they do not experience disruptions.

Facilities, Planning & Management crews are working on short-term mitigation measures as well as a long-term fix. As a campus, we will need to take additional steps to ensure we keep priority areas cool.

These additional steps will create uncomfortably warm working conditions in some areas and adjustments to building use in others. We are working to rectify the situation as quickly as possible, though we expect this process will take several weeks.

Additional updates about campus operations for Monday will be shared via email and on wisc.edu.

Thank you for your flexibility and understanding.