Questions on mold safety arise at SUNY Oswego’s Shineman Hall

Oswego, N.Y. —  The spring 2026 semester at SUNY Oswego has renewed concerns about mold growth inside SUNY Oswego’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics building — Shineman Hall. 

 In December 2025, a SUNY Oswego, who asked to remain anonymous, posted a picture of a “dangerous microbial matter,” sign along with caution tape blocking out room 372 in Shineman — a geology lab. The professor expressed their concerns and anger on the social media platform X for allowing students and faculty to be exposed to mold all throughout last semester and during finals week. Various professors in the Science Department, specifically geology, reported seeing mold in various classrooms in Shineman Hall at the start of October 2025. 

In a sit-down interview with Reporter Lexi Primenaro in November 2025, Associate Vice President of Facility Services, John Mitch Fields, addressed the problem.

“Shineman is an academic building. People don’t normally open the windows,” Fields said in November. “We have a lot more control over the space. We have to get the HVAC system fixed. Then, I think this will be completely and permanently repaired forever.” 

Oswego Now contacted Fields seeking an update on repairs to the HVAC system in Shineman Hall, but Fields said he was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.

Visiting Professor of Geology, Jon Fox, saw the mold for himself last semester.

“I’ve seen it. I’ve seen photos of it. It was pretty obvious to me it was an issue. I also know that some faculty have actually taken measurements of humidity in different rooms within Shineman and readings were quite high, around 80%, 80-85% humidity. That’s very high humidity and the big thing about mold is it requires moisture to grow,” Fox said.