The face of campus will be lifted in the next several years. The administration has many plans in the works to improve several of the existing facilities and create new ones to accommodate the campus’ growing needs.
“Students are our primary customers,” said Vice President for Administration Claude Rounds. He has been gathering feedback from the Student Senate to make decisions on what maintenance improvements need to be made to campus facilities.
Rounds has taken these suggestions seriously. “Students complained to me about the air system [in Sage 3303] … mostly that it was too hot,” offered Grand Marshal Chris Mather. He went on to explain that he brought this problem to the attention of Rounds, and shortly thereafter a new air system was installed.
There are plans to systematically survey students on a regular basis to get the necessary feedback. Mark Frost, director of the Physical Plant also mentioned that a key point of communication for students with complaints is through e-mailing or calling FIXX. Additionally, a customer service center is in the works to encourage more feedback from students.
The key to getting a lot of the campus improvements done is to “identify initiatives early, develop a plan, and do design work,” said Rounds. While the plans cannot be solidified until the capital budget for the year is passed, it does give the department an edge on planning major renovations for the summer, when students are not on campus.
High on the current agenda is the “renovation of all freshman dorms by Fall 2003,” stated Mather. This systematic improvement means different things for each of the different buildings.
According Rounds a comprehensive renovation of Nason Hall, very similar to the work done in Bray and Cary Halls, will be completed. The bathrooms, however, will be done differently than those of Bray and Cary. Additionally, upgrades are slated for Crocket and Hall Halls. Windows will also be replaced and a new sprinkler system will be installed in Hall Hall. These projects are targeted for completion in August 2003.
The freshmen residence halls are only part of the residence hall initiative. The upperclassmen residence halls are undergoing upgrades as well—mostly replacing windows, installing sprinkler systems, and making some cosmetic repairs. The administration is in the conceptual stages of developing plans and evaluating sites for a potential new upperclass residence hall.
Further, the emerging need of the graduate student population is being considered and a building on 901 Peoples Avenue has been acquired through a tax auction. The building, which has some fire damage, will be renovated and completely restored to house a portion of the graduate population. In addition to housing graduate students, it will put a “vacant, fire damaged building back into productive use,” said Rounds.
