The debate over the future of residence halls on New South Green has begun.
Residence halls on New South were built 30 years ago, and their utilities are deteriorating and soon will need to be replaced. The structural integrity of the buildings is secure; however, their mod interior design would not adapt to the proposed learning community, said Sherwood Wilson, associate vice president for auxiliaries under Facilities Management.
They are in the brainstorming stage, and the actual planning probably will not begin until next year, said Dean of Students Terry Hogan.
Once planning begins, construction would begin approximately one year later, Wilson said. Projected costs for the project range between $100 million and $110 million.
Provost Stephen Kopp is capitalizing on this need for change as an avenue to implement his goal to transform the university from a teaching community into a learning community, Hogan said.
The learning community would provide an opportunity for learning to take place everywhere, not just in the classroom, said Amanda Cunningham, senior class council president.
The goal is to promote a sense of community and diversity in everything
Cunningham said. We want people to come together and have discussions about relationships problems in the world or whatever they value.
As far as planning goes, she said the Academic Quality Improvement Project committee is in the green light thinking phase in which only their visions of what the learning community could be are discussed.
We're not thinking about budget or time right now
she said. We want what's best for the students and community as a whole. It is the best stage of the committee to be in because you can dream big.
The New South transformation is the third of four action projects
all related to the learning community atmosphere, the AQUIP committee is working on, according to the AQUIP strategy workbook. The committee also hopes to motivate students and faculty to be involved in the active learning community and to implement new general education requirements to support the program.
Proposals for the New South makeover include a systematic replacement of each residence hall. A new hall would be built, and then one would be razed. A replacement for the razed building would be constructed, and then another would be demolished. This process would repeat until the green contained all new buildings, said John Kotowski, assistant vice president for facilities management.
Kotowski said before this systematic plan is carried out, the committee should seriously consider renovating the residence halls instead of rebuilding them.
Renovation would be less expensive, he said, and the existing buildings are more coherent with the visual theme established on campus.
Officials also are concerned with any future of New South residence halls, because the buildings are all constructed in a flood plain.
If the buildings were replaced, the catwalks that currently connect each building would be eliminated, because they hinder the social interaction that officials envision. Instead, Kotowski said the flood plain could be filled in with dirt, and the buildings would be constructed on higher, level ground.
The university used this approach when West Green was first developed in the early 1960s.
As the plans for New South's renovation begin to take more definite shape, administrators will survey student opinions, preferences and concerns about the project, said Residence Life Director Joe Burke.
The trick is to find a balance between students' needs. Students want privacy
but at the same time they want to be in living environments where they can interact with each other
Burke said. Student talks will be intensified as the plans start to look like they will happen.
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