11:00
Read the following message
Dear Dr. Alvarez,
I’m writing about the capstone lab access and booking changes posted on March 4 for the Engineering Design Centre. The notice states that beginning March 18, weekday lab hours will end at 6:00 p.m. (previously 9:30 p.m.), weekend access will be by appointment only, and all equipment bookings must be made through the web portal with university two-factor authentication and supervisor pre-approval submitted at least 48 hours in advance. Walk-ins after 5:00 p.m. will not be permitted. 3D print jobs must finish by 5:45 p.m., and storage lockers will be checked at closing. They will be cleared each night.
I lead capstone team A12 (smart irrigation). Our lectures finish at 5:10 p.m.; two teammates work part-time until 5:45. We usually arrive around 6:15 and build until 9:15. Under the new hours, we would have roughly thirty minutes once we log in and unpack. Many of our PLA print runs take 2–3 hours, so the 5:45 cutoff effectively prevents iterative prototyping in the evenings.
Delays outside our control also squeeze the timeline. Our sensor boards from the vendor are due March 22; the regional demo is April 11. Compressing evening access into daytime hours forces students to choose between skipping paid shifts or missing lab time. I understand the aim—safety, staffing, and predictable closing—but the combination of earlier closing and a 48-hour pre-approval window may unintentionally disadvantage teams who rely on post-class hours.
Could the department keep two late nights (Tuesday/Thursday) open until 9:30 p.m., with a graduate monitor on duty? On those nights, could the print-job cutoff extend to 8:45 p.m., and could lockers be retained for up to three days for projects with active bookings? For students whose phones die during 2FA, an on-site kiosk at the front desk would allow a temporary one-time code. Finally, allowing same-day supervisor sign-off until 2:00 p.m. would maintain oversight without blocking urgent repairs.
I appreciate the effort to make the space safe and sustainable, and I’m happy to volunteer for one late shift each week to help check bookings and walk the benches at closing. Thank you for considering adjustments that protect safety while keeping capstone work possible in the hours students actually have.
Sincerely,
Priyanka Singh
Team A12, Mechanical Engineering
I’m writing about the capstone lab access and booking changes posted on March 4 for the Engineering Design Centre. The notice states that beginning March 18, weekday lab hours will end at 6:00 p.m. (previously 9:30 p.m.), weekend access will be by appointment only, and all equipment bookings must be made through the web portal with university two-factor authentication and supervisor pre-approval submitted at least 48 hours in advance. Walk-ins after 5:00 p.m. will not be permitted. 3D print jobs must finish by 5:45 p.m., and storage lockers will be checked at closing. They will be cleared each night.
I lead capstone team A12 (smart irrigation). Our lectures finish at 5:10 p.m.; two teammates work part-time until 5:45. We usually arrive around 6:15 and build until 9:15. Under the new hours, we would have roughly thirty minutes once we log in and unpack. Many of our PLA print runs take 2–3 hours, so the 5:45 cutoff effectively prevents iterative prototyping in the evenings.
Delays outside our control also squeeze the timeline. Our sensor boards from the vendor are due March 22; the regional demo is April 11. Compressing evening access into daytime hours forces students to choose between skipping paid shifts or missing lab time. I understand the aim—safety, staffing, and predictable closing—but the combination of earlier closing and a 48-hour pre-approval window may unintentionally disadvantage teams who rely on post-class hours.
Could the department keep two late nights (Tuesday/Thursday) open until 9:30 p.m., with a graduate monitor on duty? On those nights, could the print-job cutoff extend to 8:45 p.m., and could lockers be retained for up to three days for projects with active bookings? For students whose phones die during 2FA, an on-site kiosk at the front desk would allow a temporary one-time code. Finally, allowing same-day supervisor sign-off until 2:00 p.m. would maintain oversight without blocking urgent repairs.
I appreciate the effort to make the space safe and sustainable, and I’m happy to volunteer for one late shift each week to help check bookings and walk the benches at closing. Thank you for considering adjustments that protect safety while keeping capstone work possible in the hours students actually have.
Sincerely,
Priyanka Singh
Team A12, Mechanical Engineering
Choose the best option according to the information given in the message:
1. What is the main purpose of Priyanka’s message?
2. According to the notice, which change will occur on weekdays?
3. What is implied about the on-site kiosk for two-factor authentication (2FA)?
4. In the sentence, “They will be cleared each night,” the pronoun “They” refers to …
5. As used in the email, the word “cutoff” most nearly means …
6. Which option best describes the tone of Priyanka’s email?
Here is a response to the message. Complete the response by filling in the blanks. Select the best choice for each blank from the drop-down
Dear Ms. Singh,
Thank you for 7.... on the lab-access pilot. Your note illustrates how an earlier closing time and the 48-hour pre-approval 8.... teams who depend on post-class hours. Our preliminary counts show usage 9...., especially on project nights. In response, we will keep late hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 9:30 p.m., extend the print-job cutoff to 8:45 p.m. on those nights, and allow locker retention for up to three days for projects with active bookings. We will add a front-desk kiosk for 2FA and accept same-day supervisor sign-off until 2:00 p.m. These adjustments 10.... our goals of safety, oversight, and equitable access.
We appreciate your offer to volunteer; the technician team will be in touch to coordinate coverage. Clearly, 11....—keeping capstone work moving without compromising safety.
Respectfully,
Dr. Elena Alvarez
Program Coordinator