The university sent an extreme heat warning Thursday afternoon and, by 9:30 p.m., issued a campuswide notification announcing modified operations beginning Friday.
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"We experienced an equipment failure in our central cooling system. Unfortunately, that means we are only partially able to chill the water that provides air conditioning to our buildings. So, because of that, we have limited the number of buildings that we have operational today," said Erik Frost Hollins, executive director of strategic communications at Cal State LA.
According to the university, all classes and operations are being conducted remotely if possible through the weekend. With most classes shifted online, Cal State LA is prioritizing housing and several essential buildings, including the financial aid office.
Students said the change could provide relief from the extreme temperatures.
"It's hot, it's humid. It's kind of strange for this weather to happen. I feel like this is going to help out students a lot because, not everyone wants to come on campus every day and deal with the heat," said Cal State LA student Sebaistian Anderson.
School officials said they believe the strain of the extreme heat forced the cooling system to work harder than normal, contributing to the malfunction.
Students described difficult conditions on campus during the high temperatures.
"It is awful. I mean that might be a little harsh to say, but just walking to the bus stop to like to the library, you're already caked in sweat. There's nothing you can do to stop from sweating," said student Jackie Quiñones.
Despite the disruption, Frost Hollins said the university is confident faculty can adapt and help students stay on track academically.
"This is the first week of school, which of course makes it challenging to have any sort of disruption, but our faculty are very good at pivoting when they have to and making sure students still get learning, they still get the opportunity to stay where they need to be," he said.
University officials said modified operations are currently planned through the weekend while the cooling system issue is addressed.