A power outage in Metzger Hall, due to a faulty transformer, displaced staff just before 5 p.m. on Monday. The building will run on a generator until a new part arrives.

Lights flickered and went off in waves throughout the building, so the building was not dark all at once until after Campus Safety asked the staff to evacuate, said university communications and marketing media relations specialist Jenna Bartlo.

After diagnosing the problem, facilities ordered the rental generator and turned Metzger’s power back on Tuesday at 2:30 a.m.

Facilities is unsure when a new transformer will come in, though they are eager to take Metzger off of generator power since it costs $30,000 a week to run, said director of facilities management Brian Phillips.

The transformer converts high voltage into lower voltage for fixtures such as lights, Phillips said.