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VP Don Myers addresses Staff Council meeting
by Emily D. Johnson
“We have a lot of projects on the drawing boards,” vice
president of finance and treasurer Don Myers said of his division
in an address to Staff Council on Feb. 17. Among the projects Myers
discussed was progress on the 10-year Campus Plan drawn up in 2000.
While the Katzen Arts Center construction is progressing well, the
exceptionally wet summer delayed construction about eight to twelve
weeks, said Myers. It is expected to be fully operational for the
fall semester of 2005.
Among other major building projects, a new SIS building is now in
the concept design stage and estimated to cost $20 million. The
building will replace the current, cramped SIS space and is planned
for the corner of the quad now occupied by the library parking lot.
Other physical plans include the renovation of McCabe Hall in order
to move the Student Health Center onto main campus. The project
is in the final planning stages, but then will undergo an extra
layer of D.C. scrutiny because it is a health facility. It is hoped
McCabe can open in spring 2005.
Myers also talked about year-round campus beautification projects.
“Each year we identify . . . where we can continue to improve
the streetscape of the campus,” he said, referring to the recent
installation of new building signs and lighting on the quad.
When the Katzen Arts Center opens and the music and art departments
move out of Kreeger and Watson, cross-campus traffic might be eliminated
per the Campus Plan. “In order to do that, the Campus Plan
traffic study called for a way to increase and improve our road
network that takes traffic around the back of campus”; Osborne
would need to be torn down and Physical Plant Operations moved elsewhere,
Myers said. Those plans are very preliminary and would require significant
funding, but were money no object, Myers would encourage closing
the Butler Pavilion tunnel to traffic and converting it into open
community space.
Turning attention to the office of Human Resources, a staff member
suggested that the university close for the week between Christmas
and New Years, an idea Myers found infeasible, saying that “A
lot of departments are quite busy at that time.” For example,
students receive grades and register, the Office of Development
receives gifts, and Human Resources is preparing to distribute W2
forms during that time period.
Directing the community’s attention to the Middle States Self-study
report, Myers said, “It gives me a sense of pride. We’re
very different than we were 10 years ago. If you really want to
know what the university is all about, read the document.”
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