Dean Blackburn updated ASUW on the future of the Union on Tuesday night, speaking about where certain programs would be moved to.
“We’re going to relocate the Veteran’s Student Center, which is currently in Knight Hall, will move onto the third floor of the union,” Blackburn said. “There’s a major fundraising effort going on right now to renovate the third floor.”
The third floor is currently occupied by Student Media.
“We’re going to relocate Student Media into the union administration offices that we just vacated,” he said. “Plus [union room] 002. They will undergo a renovation process to make sure that space meets their needs.”
The union administration offices will move into Gallery 234, creating the need to find a new space for the gallery, Blackburn said.
“We’re going to find a new place for the art gallery, we think that should be a main floor space,” Blackburn said. “We might do something with Rolling Mills moving into part of the bank space and the gallery into the other bank space.”
Union Marketing will be relocated to the SLCE office triangle.
“This will be a better use of that space,” Blackburn said.
Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) will be moved into the union marketing space plus the SLCE office next door.
“This will allow the program to have adequate space to grow and develop,” he said.
SLCE will move to the former computer lab, which will help bring all the moving pieces of SLCE together.
“This will bring all the SLCE components into one office,” Blackburn said.
Union custodians will move into the FSL space. Blackburn said none of the plans have been finalized and it is important to keep moving forward.
“We do need to move forward to give adequate space for the Veteran Center and Student Media,” Blackburn said.
Continuing with discussions of rennovations, Blackburn addressed the proposed plan to restore the residence halls.
Part of the residence halls renovations would include an academic village where Crane and Hill Halls currently are.
“We are moving forward on renovating the residence halls,” he said. “We are probably going to take Crane and Hill down and create a new academic village in its spot. The creation of new residence halls is crucial to our students’ success.”
He also spoke about the future of student health services.
“Student health services, this summer, will go on reduced hours,” Blackburn said. “We see less students over the summer. We will make sure they’re open Monday through Friday for a portion of the day.”
Senate Bill No. 2549 “Creation of the ASUW Intersession Oversight Committee” and SB No. 2541 “Sara L. Axelson Medal of Meritorious Service” were introduced for the first reading.
