Both administration and faculty agree that Tufts' biology department needs a new home.
Harry Bernheim, department chair, said that a change in facilities "is a necessity for the long term growth of this department."
According to Bernheim, the administration is aware of the problem. "The administration does believe that there is an urgent need for updated biological laboratory research facilities," he said. "It's not as if we're saying yes and they're saying no."
But no "hard plans" for new construction presently exist.
As of now, only minor renovations to the building are underway: a $500,000 upgrade to current lab space in the west wing of Barnum is slated for completion by the start of next semester.
"We are renovating some existing space for a new member of the faculty," John Roberto, Vice President of Operations, said.
Leah McIntosh, the Executive Administrative Dean of the Office of Arts and Sciences, said the department is making the most of the current situation.
"We have been able to keep managing the building and to keep making things work," she said.
Though the department continues to make do, the lab space remains largely outdated and cramped.
"I would not imply for a moment that we have state-of-the-art facilities there," Roberto said. "We are currently running out of lab space for new faculty hires. The number of labs in the building is not adequate to expand and accommodate future research needs."
Aside from major renovations, Roberto said, "there are other ongoing miscellaneous maintenance needs on a day-to-day basis that we are responding to."
According to Bernheim, renovations are difficult in such an old building.
"The building is so old that the infrastructure is difficult to deal with," he said. "Everything is retrofitted."
"I am aware we are in need of an upgrade but not that there are serious problems that interfere with the day to day work in the labs other than small maintenance issues," Roberto said.
Roberto emphasized that the administration needed to evaluate projects based on the severity of the problems and prevailing costs.
"It's just a matter of priorities and the other needs across the university for all of our facilities," he said. "The question is whether the space is still suitable to accommodate and allow for research and teaching."
While students feel that the space is "suitable," many believe that renovations to the building are necessary.
"The facilities are not as nice as at my high school," sophomore Laura Berman said. She also referenced Barnum's general lack of attractiveness and charm. "It could definitely use a makeover."
Biology major and sophomore Corey Blodgett said that he personally has never experienced any significant problems with Barnum it its current state. "It would be nicer to have up-to-date equipment, but what we have now does work," he said.
Bernheim said that the biology department may benefit from Tufts' upcoming capital campaign, however, one of the goals of which is to raise $277 million for improvements to Tufts facilities.
A press release described this priority of the campaign as "building and enhancing the physical infrastructure," which, pending amount of funds raised, will include a new integrated research laboratory that would combine both bioengineering and biology, according to Vice President of University Advancement Brian Lee.
The prospect of a new biology building is "definitely a part of the capital campaign," from an administrative standpoint, McIntosh said.
"It is one of our hopes to raise money to build something for biology," she said. "For us to move forward we have to have not just a space plan but a financial plan as well.
"Whatever we do next will depend on finances; that's why the capital campaign is so important," McIntosh said.
Bernheim hopes the capital campaign and donor support will eventually put the department in an updated facility.
It is likely the department will be moved to a new home in the future, he said, and a life science component on the Medford campus has been discussed.
"It's just a matter of getting the right donors," he said.
Though no definitive projects are currently underway, Bernheim said the current cooperation that exists between the administration and faculty is crucial to future improvements.
