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Printer-Friendly ModeNew buildings, additions near completion
Classrooms, housing, medical facility on track to open for fall semester
June 8, 2009 —
Construction projects continue this summer as SVSU prepares for the fall semester. Approximately $48 million dollars are invested in on-campus construction, including building projects both current and forthcoming. Jim Muladore, vice president for Administration and Business Affairs, tells The Vanguard about the buildings and additions Cardinals can look forward to using.
Living Center Southwest
Scheduled to be open for the fall semester, Living Center Southwest will provide an additional 240 beds, intended principally for freshmen students. The new housing facility is next to Living Center South and is a mirror image of that facility.
According to Muladore, housing construction is part of an overall strategy to attract students from outside the four-county region, furthering the growth of the University.
"We're not pursuing growth for growth's sake," Muladore said. "We think we're probably getting close to the maximum size that we can support as we get around to that 10,000 student number."
"The ability to provide housing is directly related to the University's ability to recruit incoming freshman students," said Muladore. Approximately 72 percent of SVSU's 2009 freshman class lived on campus, he added.
To better serve students moving into Living Center Southwest in the fall, SVSU is considering an additional staff position for the facility.
"We authorized one additional campus facilities position because of the ongoing service needs," Muladore said.
The new housing facility funding is part of the self-supportive auxiliary system that does not draw resources from the general fund. Unlike academic projects paid for by the general fund and the state, funding for auxiliary systems such as student housing comes from either cash that is on hand, accumulated by the auxiliary system, or from a debt service payment worked into the budget for that project each year.
"In our world, debt services are a major budgetary expense," he says. "There is no state money or University general fund money that pays for these auxiliary projects."
Housing rates are up from last year. New rates depend on individual housing plans that students choose. Students most often choose a package that includes a 14-meal plan, totaling $6,910 when combined with housing fees, Muladore said. Despite this increase, Muladore says SVSU offers the second least expensive housing rates of the public university group in Michigan, following only the University of Michigan-Flint, which is only $100 less than SVSU.
Health and Human Sciences
The Health and Human Sciences construction project is ongoing. Since the groundbreaking in April, construction of the facility has remained on schedule. The expected completion of the project is July 2010. SVSU anticipates that the Health and Human Sciences building will be open for the fall semester of 2010.
Muladore says the Health Sciences building is "the project we were focused on and continue to focus on due to the academic nature of that building."
The new facility will house important academic programs such as nursing. When the facility construction is complete, SVSU plans to move certain programs and offices from the second floor of Wickes Hall to their new accommodations.
Unlike auxiliary systems, funding for the construction of the Health and Human Sciences building comes from the university's general fund and from the State of Michigan.
The Health and Human Sciences building is a $28 million project, of which the State of Michigan is funding $21 million dollars; the University will pay the remaining $7 million.
University Health Center
The construction of the University Health Center, located at Bay and Pierce Road, is complete and will open later this month. The project is a venture with Covenant Health Care Systems that is a year and a half in the making. The facility will provide urgent care services to the public and function as the Health Center for SVSU students.
"Historically, we have had the nook and cranny in the second floor of Wickes Hall," said Muladore. "We're going to have a much more welcome and expanded service for students once the fall semester starts."
Covenant will staff the University Health Center will include a physician, a physician assistant, an RN, and an office staff. There is also space in the building for a primary care physician, which is not normally found in MedExpress.
"It is going to be really well received by the university community," Muladore said. "It is much expanded from what people have had here and will offer convenience to our students and our staff."
SVSU worked with Covenant to develop care standards to ensure that students receive the care they expect. Students can soon use insurance and some basic services are provided at a fee. The fee schedule is not yet finalized, but will be made public before the fall semester.
Arbury Fine Arts Center
The addition of four classrooms to the Arbury Fine Arts building is on schedule for a fall opening. The addition includes art classrooms and art studios. In addition to art courses, the classrooms will house history, political science and psychology courses.
Wickes Hall
SVSU submitted a capital outlay request to the state for the renovation of Wickes Hall, which also has potential as a major project. Wickes Hall opened in the fall of 1969 and had its last renovation in 1987.
Muladore says, "The renovation did not have sufficient funding to upgrade the mechanical aspects of the building, the heating and ventilating and air conditioning and so forth."
SVSU estimates that up to $12 million is necessary to renovate Wickes Hall. Heating and ventilation systems updates would get priority before minor remodeling. Funding will dictate the nature and schedule of the renovation.
When the Health and Human Sciences Building opens up for the fall of 2010, the College of Nursing and other departments located in Wickes Hall will likely move to the new building.
Muladore says the University is considering the building's future.
The services located on the first floor of Wickes that require more direct contact with students could have more room on the first floor. Muladore says that the decision regarding the use of the vacated space will require much discussion about the most efficient use of Wickes Hall.
Muladore says, "Are we ever done with construction? Probably not. I think that it is an indicator of an organization that has some vitality to it, that there is always some type of construction, but I like to think that what we build is what we really need, and when we build a building we are also taking on some pretty long-term responsibilities."