Spring Break
Student opinions sought on MU Annex plan
Survey next week will judge interest of students for new
Aleks Cherednichenko
Issue date: 2/20/09 Section: News
At the end of next week, students should expect to find a survey in their ONID inboxes.
The MU East/Snell Hall Replacement Project wants students' input on plans for future MU expansion and the eventual replacement of Snell Hall. The key question remains: whether the student community is willing to fund these much-needed projects with student fees.
Historically, students at universities across the state of Oregon have funded construction costs through student fees. The current building fee of $45, which every enrolled student pays, is tapped out, according to Brian Collins, master of public policy and member of the replacement project.
Oregon legislature allows individual campuses to increase student fees in order to pay for construction projects such as the one to replace Snell Hall. The proposal, however, encompasses numerous repair and reconstruction plans.
The student fees would pay for a series of recreational sports projects, including a new intramural field with artificial turf to fare better during the winter season. There are also plans to rebuild McAlexander Fieldhouse, while putting in a climbing wall and new restroom facilities.
"This would be a relatively inexpensive project, costing around two to three million," Collins said.
Just like many parts of OSU campus, the MU has not been updated since the mid-1950s, and student fees would fund the expansion and renovation of the building.
"The MU is still not up to modern building code. We want to make it truly accessible and bring it up to fire code," Collins said. "There's also a big problem with the food and beverage service and adequate meeting space."
The renovation of the MU would tackle all of these issues and has the potential to carry a price tag of $15 million.
The expansion of the MU would take form on the site of the OSU Bookstore structure. The building would house different branches of OSU's community, including ASOSU and student media.
The MU East/Snell Hall Replacement Project wants students' input on plans for future MU expansion and the eventual replacement of Snell Hall. The key question remains: whether the student community is willing to fund these much-needed projects with student fees.
Historically, students at universities across the state of Oregon have funded construction costs through student fees. The current building fee of $45, which every enrolled student pays, is tapped out, according to Brian Collins, master of public policy and member of the replacement project.
Oregon legislature allows individual campuses to increase student fees in order to pay for construction projects such as the one to replace Snell Hall. The proposal, however, encompasses numerous repair and reconstruction plans.
The student fees would pay for a series of recreational sports projects, including a new intramural field with artificial turf to fare better during the winter season. There are also plans to rebuild McAlexander Fieldhouse, while putting in a climbing wall and new restroom facilities.
"This would be a relatively inexpensive project, costing around two to three million," Collins said.
Just like many parts of OSU campus, the MU has not been updated since the mid-1950s, and student fees would fund the expansion and renovation of the building.
"The MU is still not up to modern building code. We want to make it truly accessible and bring it up to fire code," Collins said. "There's also a big problem with the food and beverage service and adequate meeting space."
The renovation of the MU would tackle all of these issues and has the potential to carry a price tag of $15 million.
The expansion of the MU would take form on the site of the OSU Bookstore structure. The building would house different branches of OSU's community, including ASOSU and student media.
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