Spring Break
OSU's facelift, now what?
Issue date: 8/6/08 Section: Forum
As The Summer Barometer reported on July 23, the Oregon Board of Higher Education approved the building budget for 2009-2011 at Oregon State University.
The university is said to be planning on improving and constructing several new buildings on campus.
The College of Business will get a new building, and there will also be a new international residence hall and a student involvement center put in.
Improving the OSU campus is a great thing.
Not only will it allow better access for students, but it also has the potential to attract new students and retain current students.
However, there are some questions that must be asked:
What is going to happen to the current buildings on campus that are in desperate need of help?
What about the buildings that do not meet the Americans with Disabilities Act? Buildings that do not have hot water, proper seating or modern teaching equipment - like whiteboards vs. chalkboards, or ceiling mounted projectors vs. mobile overhead projectors.
There is no reason for students on campus not to have access to their advisors just because their offices are on the top floors of buildings and there are no available elevators.
We, as students and a community, are fortunate enough to have a beautiful campus, and with improvements, rather than new buildings, it can only get better.
Unless OSU is expecting to expand campus property, the only result of adding new facilities without the necessary land will be going to a university that has new buildings filling up our valuable open spaces.
Sadly, the entrance to campus on Jefferson Way, which is often the first sight many prospective students see, has had all of its mature trees removed - leaving it to appear naked and bare.
Campus parking is another major student complaint that needs to be addressed instead of just dealt with. Removing parking spots in exchange for new buildings is a decision that should be made by all of campus. And what about the deteriorating sidewalks? Is there anything we can do about that?
There is nothing wrong with wanting to add on to the campus, but the pros and cons need to be measured out - as do the pros and cons of making improvements on existing buildings.
We need to consider which outweighs the other in cost and effect on students.
It comes down to choosing to invest in beautiful new buildings or instead use the money to repair our broken sidewalks and structures that are falling apart all around campus.
The university is said to be planning on improving and constructing several new buildings on campus.
The College of Business will get a new building, and there will also be a new international residence hall and a student involvement center put in.
Improving the OSU campus is a great thing.
Not only will it allow better access for students, but it also has the potential to attract new students and retain current students.
However, there are some questions that must be asked:
What is going to happen to the current buildings on campus that are in desperate need of help?
What about the buildings that do not meet the Americans with Disabilities Act? Buildings that do not have hot water, proper seating or modern teaching equipment - like whiteboards vs. chalkboards, or ceiling mounted projectors vs. mobile overhead projectors.
There is no reason for students on campus not to have access to their advisors just because their offices are on the top floors of buildings and there are no available elevators.
We, as students and a community, are fortunate enough to have a beautiful campus, and with improvements, rather than new buildings, it can only get better.
Unless OSU is expecting to expand campus property, the only result of adding new facilities without the necessary land will be going to a university that has new buildings filling up our valuable open spaces.
Sadly, the entrance to campus on Jefferson Way, which is often the first sight many prospective students see, has had all of its mature trees removed - leaving it to appear naked and bare.
Campus parking is another major student complaint that needs to be addressed instead of just dealt with. Removing parking spots in exchange for new buildings is a decision that should be made by all of campus. And what about the deteriorating sidewalks? Is there anything we can do about that?
There is nothing wrong with wanting to add on to the campus, but the pros and cons need to be measured out - as do the pros and cons of making improvements on existing buildings.
We need to consider which outweighs the other in cost and effect on students.
It comes down to choosing to invest in beautiful new buildings or instead use the money to repair our broken sidewalks and structures that are falling apart all around campus.
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