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Printer-Friendly ModeEvents regularly planned on campus may surprise
February 8, 2010 —
SVSU brings in nearly a million dollars a year from renting out its facilities.
The University rents its space for dozens of functions, such as meetings for Dow Corning, conferences by Habitat for Humanity and the annual kickoff of the Relay for Life. And don’t forget the camps — cheer camps, fitness camps, Chinese church summer camps.
That’s just the beginning. Sometimes, senior citizens are doing aerobics, and ladies are making crafts in the hallways.
Susan Brasseur, head of the University Conference and Events Center, said SVSU is continually hosting events for outside parties.
In 2009 alone, SVSU hosted 14 wedding receptions and six high school proms.
Often, Brasseur said, the conference and events center staff will design a look for an event.
“We’ll do everything from picking the color scheme to making flower arrangements, to building props and special lighting,” Brasseur said. “Clio holds their prom here almost every year, and they are [always] shocked and impressed at how we’ve managed to top the year before.”
The University also has complete catering services.
Brasseur said it may seem frivolous to host a high school prom or band camp, but it means a lot to the University.
“By having banquets and other meetings here, younger students learn how to function in professional environments,” she said.
And it’s not just students who say they are impressed by SVSU’s facilities. Local businesses holding large meetings and conferences usually end up booking a room for the rest of their events.
In comparison to other universities, community involvement scheduled on campus far exceeds the norm.
“For instance, if another university were to hold about 500 events throughout the year, our university would hold 6,000,” she said.
Brasseur insists that renting these spaces is not just another way for the University to make money.
“Everything we do really ties back into the University,” she said. “A lot of that money pays for salaries and other expenses throughout campus.”
Hidden benefits may come, too, she said.
“I’d like to see how many students we retain because of events they’ve come to at SVSU before college,” she added.
She said that during a typical summer, SVSU holds 15 to 20 extended camp events. Overnight accommodations can be made during the summer months for up to 950 people.
“When we do this, students get to see our facilities, to experience our summer housing program, to eat at the RFoC,” she said. “They get to experience a little bit of collegiate life they might not have otherwise had a chance to.”
Even when businesses hold events here, students are involved, Brasseur said.
“Sometimes, businesses ask if there are students that could be involved in their meetings,” she said. “I just had one company ask if the dance team could perform as an interesting way to open their conference.”
Or different athletic teams on campus will be asked to attend events, and then they can raise money for their team,” she said. “We really try to involve the students every chance we get.”
Brasseur said she requires every member of her staff to attend an admissions tour so that they can go the extra mile and represent the University well.
Kristen Willert, assistant director of the conference and events center, had an experience with a potential student one Saturday morning.
“It’s Saturday, you’re already exhausted from the week. You just want to get in and get out,” she said. “And then a student randomly comes with his parents and grandparents to check out the University, and [they] have no idea where they’re going.”
So Willert stopped what she was doing.
“I left the office and showed him all the great things the campus has to offer,” she said. “For instance, I took him through Pioneer and showed him all the great labs and classrooms we have over there.
I took him to Fine Arts and showed them the Marshall Fredrick’s museum. They had no idea that was there, and they were really impressed with the size of the campus, and all the things we have to offer here.”