James Nedock/ THE POST Freshman Mike Risner passes by a pile of debris outside Ellis Hall. The heap is just one of many that could be seen near the building yesterday.

Although an outside contractor is partially responsible for delays in Ellis Hall renovations, some Ohio University professors feel the university should have placed a higher priority on the project.

Ameriblock, a construction company from Portsmouth, began renovating Ellis Hall after Spring Quarter, said Director of Facilities Planning John Kotowski. The $1.5 million project fell behind schedule when Ameriblock failed to meet interim deadlines and found a large amount of asbestos in upper floors, he said.

"There were some unforeseen situations that had an impact," he said.

Ameriblock still needs to complete walls and ceilings and install carpeting in upper floor rooms, leaving faculty members without offices, Kotowski said.

Andrew Escobedo, assistant professor of English, said OU should have had a contingency plan to ensure professors had alternative office space.

The lack of offices hinders professors from carrying out their duties, Escobedo said. Although he can meet students in coffee shops or at the library, he cannot carry resources around campus, he said.

"It's practically impossible to be as prepared to help students," he said.

Freshman Steve Turner has not had problems contacting his professors, but he said he sees the lack of faculty offices could present problems for students who need help.

"This should have been done before we got here," he said.

Construction on the building, which will house the English, Classics and Philosophy departments, probably will be completed mid-Fall Quarter, Kotowski said. OU will review the delays after construction is finished to see which situations it will penalize Ameriblock, he said.

Finishing construction on Ellis Hall will not change English professor Jim Thomson's opinion of how the university views his department. While OU has made great improvements to its business and technology facilities, he said he feels the humanities have been neglected overall by the university.

Renovations to the building are nearly indistinguishable from the old Ellis Hall, which received its last face-lift in 1962, he said.