On Thursday, October 27, the Student Senate held its first Pizza with the President event of the academic year. The idea behind the event, held this time in a conference room on the second floor of the Russell Sage Dining Hall, is for President Shirley Ann Jackson to have lunch with students while answering their questions.
Upon her arrival at noon with Institute Counsel Chuck Carletta, she was greeted by a group of about 40 students and both pizza and questions. The first question, and one that would become the refrain for the day, was about a tuition increase—what was being done to prevent it and how much would it be. Dr. Jackson stated that while her administration was trying to “hold the line on costs,” our tuition hikes were not out of line with other top-tier universities. Additionally, she mentioned that our tuition “discount” rate—the average percentage of tuition given as aid—was about 50 percent and that the Board of Trustees would have to approve any increases in tuition.
Questions regarding facilities were also raised by students, ranging from what RPI has now to what it may have in a decade. She began by saying that “when I came, we were a long way back in renewing and keeping up facilities … RPI was an institute that needed some refreshment.” Current estimates for deferred maintenance on campus currently stand at about $250 million.
With reference to the East Campus Athletic Village, Jackson said that seating for 7,500 at the football field was “not the beginning number.” Since the Institute had to give the Planning Board a complete plan, future needs had to be taken into account given what Jackson called “the rising level of athletic play.” In coming years, Jackson indicated that more athletically-inclined students would come to campus as a result of improved facilities and significant scholarship opportunities. As for funding, the construction will be funded via a bond issue. However, the President of the NCAA, a member of RPI’s Board of Trustees, is leading a “mini Capital Campaign” to raise money for the cost of the facilities. Prints of the East Campus construction plans not previously circulated to students were distributed around the room.
Other concerns regarding the East Campus Athletic Village were also brought up. When asked about the effect on student convenience and emergency access to East Campus closing Georgian Court would have, she responded that the “pedestrian plaza” would be open to cars and the policies on its use by students would be decided by how the Facility as a whole was utilized. Additionally, she pointed out that over the past few years, RPI has had to decide whether to build a new residence complex to supplement its student housing or increase athletic facilities. RPI, she said, has chosen to build the East Campus Athletic Village for now.
One concern about the construction of the East Campus Athletic Village had revolved around the future uses for the ’86 Field and the ’87 Gym. For the ’86 Field, Jackson said that RPI “has no plan to build anything there … We need open campus green space.” As for the ’87 Gym, it has been evaluated several times over the years to become an alternative study space, a “Union-prime,” as Jackson called it. But due to the building’s archaic and unusual load-bearing mechanisms, the building cannot be repurposed in any significant way. Thus, it will continue to serve as a secondary gymnasium and athletic space in the future.
Later discussion revolved around the proposed upcoming changes in the School of Engineering. The school’s new dean, Alan Cramb, is pursuing an initiative that will encourage more students to get involved with research and require students to pursue an international exchange program within the context of their degree. Jackson alluded to statements by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, stating that engineers need to be “more creative, more culturally sensitive, and more global in perspective.” However, Jackson stated that “we’re not creating English and Arts majors … we’re about integrating … The very best engineering schools also have the best schools of science.”
In other matters, Jackson expressed surprise at the seeming insularity at much of the student body when she said, “The discussion on Ruckus surprises me—earthquakes, tsunamis, 2,000 troops dead in Iraq … and we’re talking about Ruckus.” She urged those present to take a more “global perspective” in their thinking. She also briefly referred to Thomas Friedman’s book The World is Flat, and how it tied in to her own ideas about the “silent crisis” facing America—a shortage of engineers and scientists.
In response to a question about the future role of greek life and the social scene on Campus, Jackson, said she hopes that in the future the greeks will run alcohol-free houses. “If so,” she said, “it will be easier to move things along.” Jackson recently signed the new Relationship Statement—the document which defines the greek system’s affiliation to the Institute.
As for the overall policy regarding alcohol use, Jackson said she would be following a policy of “zero tolerance,” and would not “take comfort in relative statistics.” She reiterated RPI’s commitment to be pro-active about ensuring student safety. When asked if Public Safety would be extending its presence to the East Campus area around BARH and RAHPS given the impending East Campus construction, she responded that immediate steps would be taken to improve safety on East Campus prior to construction.
