On the weekend of February 6 and 7, the Rensselaer Alumni Association Board of Trustees held its quarterly board meeting on the Troy campus. As Grand Marshal, I am privileged to sit as a member of that board. Primarily, my duty is to report the viewpoints of students regarding any initiatives the RAA Board is considering. For example, at the fall board meeting, members discussed a proposal from WRPI for assistance with hockey broadcasts. I was able to speak about the particular needs of that organization from a student perspective, to help shape that discussion.
Of major interest at this month’s meeting were the proposed east campus construction projects announced by the Institute. Phase one has already been launched. As part of this segment of work, new turf will be installed on Harkness and Lower Renwyck fields, along with construction of an athletics support facility to include locker rooms, rest rooms, and meeting space.
Three subsequent phases are planned. In the second phase, a traditional field house will be constructed. This building will be equipped to handle multiple sports, including basketball, tennis, and volleyball. It will complement the Houston Field House, which could be more properly termed an ice arena. In the third phase, a basketball arena will be constructed, with the potential to be a convertible space to host music concerts. Finally, phase four features a natatorium with an olympic-sized pool.
Our ability to complete these projects, and the time frame for their completion, are directly dependent on the generous support of contributors. I shared with the RAA Board the critical need for these facilities. The Armory and ’87 Gym are stretched beyond capacity. Our Division III athletes deserve facilities of a quality and caliber that match the commitment they bring to athletic competition on our campus. Furthermore, participants in intramural, club, and recreational sports need much freer access to facilities currently overtaxed by our increasingly active student body.
I would encourage you to impress upon the alumni you know of the importance and urgency of these projects. Never before have we had so great a potential to impact the daily lives of so many students as right now, with the successful completion of these facilities.
Also as part of the RAA Board weekend, I joined the alumni on a tour of the biotechnology and interdisciplinary studies center. The facility is remarkable. It is, in reality, two buildings in one. The outer building features office space, while the inner building contains state-of-the-art flexible lab space. The buildings are joined in the middle by a breathtaking open atrium. In addition, an auditorium on the first floor will link with conference rooms throughout the building to provide an interactive meeting system. The building was designed to encourage work between teams and across departments, and should serve as a world-class research facility to showcase the cutting edge of our scientific portfolio.
The Senate continues to work on issues facing the student body, including grade modifiers. We are meeting today with the Faculty Senate for an update of our earlier discussion. I would again encourage you to submit your opinions to Senate Secretary Marcus Griep at griepm@rpi.edu for inclusion in the process.
As always, the Senate is available to assist you at senate-listens@rpi.edu, or you may reach me directly at gm@rpi.edu. Our meetings are held Mondays at 9 pm in Union Room 3202, and are open to all students.
