HVAC stupidity

I've never understood why most buildings have such stupid and clunky HVAC systems, wasting energy while sacrificing your comfort.

Just got an email from the Vice President of Operations, Columbia University Facilities:

Dear Colleagues,
Unseasonably high temperatures are forecasted for our area over the next few days. As we are in the midst of heating season, and most university buildings are not able to supply both heating and cooling simultaneously, many areas of campus may feel warmer than usual. We appreciate your patience as we work to keep everyone on campus comfortable.

"most university buildings are not able to supply both heating and cooling simultaneously"

The implicit premise here is that they can't turn off the heat! It's unclear whether the blame lies with the engineers or the policy-makers.