As University President Morton O. Schapiro and the administration work on the University’s Strategic Plan to kick off a major fundraising campaign, the Associated Student Government will begin a petition campaign Monday to rally student support for building a new student center.
“Would you place this above every other problem the University has right now?” ASG President Claire Lew said of the New Student Center Initiative. “I say yes, because this is the number one issue we face right now.”
Starting Monday, ASG members in Norris University Center and across campus will pass out letters addressed to the administration that students can sign either in person or online, the SESP senior said.
But if past statements by administrators are an indication, the initiative may face some roadblocks. In a meeting with The Daily last week, Schapiro did not directly address the New Student Center Initiative, but said NU should focus on making gradual improvements around campus to “third spaces” it already has.
“We can either lament the fact that Norris isn’t perfect and think about what we’re going to do in 50 years, or every year we can make an addition,” he said. “I prefer to do the latter as we continue to work on Norris and as we continue to think about alternatives for them, too.”
The last cost evaluation in 2005 placed the price tag at $90 million to build a new student center and, alternatively, $65 million to renovate the buildings currently occupied by the Kellogg School of Management, an option that may be pursued when Kellogg moves to its as-yet unconstructed new building.
Lew said the consensus among students she has spoken with is that Norris is not a real student center. It lacks adequate meeting and venue space, centralized student services and general entertainment options, she said.
“Look at any other school in the Big Ten, and Norris is pretty embarrassing,” Lew said.
In March, Norris Executive Director Rick Thomas wrote in an e-mail to The Daily that Norris was one of the most-used buildings on campus, with more than 7,000 people passing through each day. Still, he agreed that Norris is not in an ideal location on campus and not as warm or comfortable as students would like.
This fall is a critical time for students to voice their concerns, she said. The goal is to have the initiative included in the University’s Strategic Plan, which is in the drafting process and will be released Jan. 1. Based on this process, the administration will formulate its next capital campaign and define the University’s primary priorities.
“If students themselves demand their university do certain things (and) be a certain way, people will listen,” Lew said.
Last year, ASG published two student surveys in an effort to gauge student opinion regarding Norris and the option of building a replacement. The most recent survey from Spring Quarter generated more than 700 student responses, said Ash Jaidev, chair of ASG’s New Student Center Initiative.
Still, Lew said the administration does not place the issue at the top of its to-do list, letting fiscal and logistical concerns outweigh the plan.
Schapiro said the administration wants to make changes in third spaces to improve the situation now.
“We just can’t plan for when you graduate, we have to plan for next quarter,” Schapiro said.
Lew said new and improved “third spaces” that do not include a new student center fail to address the larger issue: the broken sense of community on campus. Smaller projects only further compartmentalize students, she said.
“When you’re going to solve a problem, do it once and do it right,” Lew said. “Isn’t that the point, to maximize student happiness? Anything less would be settling.”
ASG members understand the administration’s concerns but don’t believe it can shortcut one of the only things connecting the entire student body, Lew said.
By gathering student signatures on its petitions, ASG has the opportunity to bring the student body’s concerns to the forefront of the administration’s priorities, Jaidev said.
“We can’t half-ass this issue anymore,” the Weinberg junior said. “Norris can no longer meet student needs.”
