Student and faculty leaders at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa yesterday criticized the lack of money for maintenance and repairs and told state legislators at a joint hearing on campus that dorms and classrooms are "falling apart."

Carl Lyndstrom, a student representing residents in the Manoa dorms, told a group of six legislators from the state House and Senate committees on higher education that water fountains around the dorm complex don't work, there are large holes in the walls, plumbing problems, broken elevators and leaking pipes.

"The administration keeps pushing back maintenance, and it keeps getting worse and worse," Lyndstrom said.

State Rep. Tommy Waters, D-51st (Waimanalo, Lanikai), said he had the opportunity to spend the day before yesterday's hearing taking a self-tour of the campus and said he has an "overwhelming concern about facility maintenance."

"It's run down, it's busted up. We've let it go for so long," Waters said.

State Sen. Clayton Hee, D-23rd (Kane'ohe, Kahuku), said: "The problems in the dorms that they articulated are not new problems." Hee said the Legislature addressed those issues during the 2005 session through $100 million for dorm maintenance and repair but said it is up to the university administration to do something about it.

Lyndstrom also told legislators that it took nearly six weeks before housing staff addressed a "bed bug" issue in one student's dorm room.

Meanwhile, "she had to sleep on her kitchen table," said Lyndstrom.

Mary Tiles of the University of Hawai'i Professional Assembly said many classrooms on campus are deteriorating faster than they are being repaired. She also complained about broken air conditioners in classrooms across campus.

"It's very difficult to teach students in classes that are too cold or too hot," Tiles said.

Grant Teichman, president of the Associated Students of UH-Manoa, also addressed other issues of student concern, including what he called the lack of academic advisers. He also stressed the need for 24-hour access to the library.

Among other issues brought before lawmakers were the need for funding for sex assault prevention, laboratory space, graduate student housing and faculty housing.

Teichman also expressed concern over the interception of a letter from ASUH to some 3,000 students in the dorms informing them of their rights following complaints that security guards were abusing their authority to conduct room searches.

The housing staff confiscated the letters last week, citing a number of inaccuracies and notified ASUH that it did so in a letter dated Nov. 22.

Teichman told legislators that the action by the housing staff interfered with ASUH's rights as a governing body to communicate with its constituents.

Hee said he was "troubled" to hear about the action by UH officials. "UH might argue that some of the content of the leaflets were inaccurate but that does not excuse censorship," he said.

ASUH will draft a revised letter to send to dorm residents, Teichman said.

Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com.