DU’s campus master plan, Impact 2025, promises to transform DU’s campus with new buildings and expanded sustainability on campus. The plans include a new freshman dorm and the replacement of Driscoll Student Center with a “Community Commons” that will offer new dining options and even a coffee shop. It also has brought noisy construction, fewer pathways and disruption to numerous campus clubs. For the students currently residing on campus, this can be frustrating combination. Yet DU might be able to ease some frustrated student organizations by making sure all students have been properly communicated with and that there are alternative buildings in place for clubs.
Perhaps the biggest impact will be on numerous student organizations that chose to meet at the Driscoll Student Center. Many clubs chose Driscoll as their meeting place, including DU Dungeons and Dragons, DU Clarion, and the DU Programming board. Until construction on the building is finished, many student organizations will be left with limited options. Some clubs have proposed the Anderson Academic Commons as an alternative. Yet clubs meeting there could potentially be disruptive to students studying.
While the DU administration did a good job informing all clubs of the construction and the closure of Driscoll, there was still some confusion over how clubs should find new spaces. While there is not much that could be done to improve the crosswalk at Evans being temporarily closed, it is possible DU could be more clear on what alternatives there are for student organizations now that Driscoll is unavailable.
While DU has said they have communicated with all clubs, some clubs claim otherwise. Marcus Merrit, president of DU Dungeons and Dragons said the only warning he got was from a friend at USG. “If anyone from DU tried to contact us, it never got through.” Marcus says. “We just assumed nobody even tried,” he said.
Not every club has found a new place that is adequate for their meetings, either. For example, both DU Clarion and DUPB have relocated to the Hub. DU has recommended this place for various organizations to meet. Yet the meeting place may not be ideal for all student organizations. The building is much smaller in comparison to Driscoll, and the rooms are often tiny. The Hub might be an ok fit for smaller clubs, but larger organizations may find The Hub does not meet their needs.
Right now the options suggested do not work for every club and alternatives that have been put in place for offices are confusing to find. For example, there is a sign within Driscoll bridge that explains where offices and spaces that were previously in Driscoll are now. Yet some of the locations mentioned are confusing and not precise. The only information for The Hub provided is that it is in “SAE.” There is no address, no non-abbreviated version or a description. There also appears to be no information on the DU website about it. Perhaps the sign could be more clear by providing addresses to the locations or have a clearer map on the sign pointing to each building. DU should also consider adding the location to Google Maps and putting info about it on the website.
When it comes to clubs, the DU administration should try to choose one building as a temporary place where clubs can meet until the construction is finished. The place needs to be somewhere where the clubs won’t disturb others and with plenty of rooms. Perhaps instead of the Hub being suggested as a alternative, Sturm would be a better option. It has plenty of options for students to have their club meetings and as long as students meet later in the day, no classes would be disturbed. Another possible option could be the Engineering building. Similar to Sturm, it has plenty of space available and is also open late. After the administration chooses a building, they should notify organizations as well as try to accommodate the chosen building for the clubs.
Another important thing DU can do is continue to keep contact with student organizations until construction is finished. This will allow clubs to communicate needs and concerns to DU directly, as well as allow students to be notified about changes quickly. By listening to students, DU will able to make the construction process a little less frustrating. Conversely, DU will have a better idea of the needs of each organization and be able to communicate better with students.
By making the construction plan more clear to students and providing viable alternatives for students affected, DU can make the process a lot less frustrating for everyone. It is important that DU understands that students are heavily affected by Impact 2025 and that not all students will get to see the finished project. Therefore, it is critical that DU makes the building process as painless as possible for students and faculty.
