Ohio University's student center will remain open Sundays and until at least 10 p.m. during the week next year - a compromise based on student input.
Vice President for Student Affairs Kent Smith and director of Baker University Center Sujit Chemburkar originally proposed closing Baker Center at 9:30 p.m. every day or eliminating Sunday hours. Student Senate, dissatisfied with both options, proposed a compromise that largely resembles the final plan.
The new schedule leaves the center open Monday through Wednesday from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 7 a.m. until midnight, Saturday from 8 a.m. until midnight, and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Currently, Baker Center is open from 7 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to midnight Sunday.
Baker Center must cut $114,585 - 2.8 percent of its $4.08 million budget - next year because of universitywide budget cuts totaling $13.75 million.
Smith and Chemburkar's decision almost exactly mirrors the resolution Student Senate passed May 28 - the only difference being Sunday's hours. Senate suggested leaving Baker Center open from noon until 8 p.m. Sundays. But after reviewing student feedback, Smith and Chemburkar decided that the building could open at 10 a.m. Sundays, giving students a place to study Sunday mornings when Alden Library does not open until noon.
Student Senate conducted a survey in April asking participants to rank three options for Baker Center hours next year. The three proposals were: closing the center daily at 9:30 p.m.; closing Sundays; and remaining open from noon to 8 p.m. Sundays, until at least 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and midnight Thursday through Saturday. After reviewing the results, Senate pushed to keep Baker open Sundays. Students, however, ranked closing Sundays as their first option, according to the survey's quantitative results.
Ultimately, Smith and Chemburkar decided to model the schedule after senate's resolution.
I think there's been a trend all year of (Smith and Chemburkar) listening to us and valuing student input
said Robert Leary, president of Student Senate.
Smith and Chemburkar also gathered feedback from Graduate Student Senate, the Baker University Center Advisory Board and a council of student leaders.
We're very appreciative of the student input Smith said. While some won't be happy with the final decision the fact of the matter is that students did help us reach a very different conclusion as opposed to where we probably would have went if students had not been involved. In this case
student input not only was sought
it was valued and affected the end result.
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Pamela Engel
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