A number of issues discussed, including corporate sponsorship, outreach, and student input.
Fourteen students spoke on behalf of almost 30,000 at a town hall meeting held last week regarding Build SFU. The main issue discussed was a lack of awareness among the student population. After passing a referendum allowing for the Student Union Building (SUB) project to commence, why are students still unaware of the five-year plan? The group sought to answer that question and explore possible ways to get more students involved and raise awareness for the project.
There is a website (buildsfu.ca), Facebook group, and Twitter account, but one of the students present asked, “Is there a Facebook group? Because I haven’t found it.” It was suggested that updates concerning Build SFU should be more easily accessible through SFU social media groups.
“What will make students care?” asked URO Jeff McCann, who led the meeting. Several solutions were proposed. One was to make clear that students will be paying for it out of their fees. Starting in the fall of 2014, SFU undergraduates will pay $10 a semester for the building to cover the $65 million price tag. That fee will rise by $10 every year until it caps at $90 in 2022.
Another solution is to emphasize the possible opportunities. One student said, “Potentially, it could even make people’s careers if they contribute as students. The first thing we need to do is make people realize that this is something that is not just good for the school, but good for them and the future generations.”
It was proposed that students be allowed input on design and marketing plans. This could gear towards co-op students, who may be looking to meet graduation requirements. It was expressed that incentives, such as money and grades, might be the only way to get students truly motivated.
There was an alternative to increasing tuition costs: corporate sponsorship. “So if [a corporation] walks in the door and says, ‘here’s $30 million for your student union building,’ is that something students are interested in, or not?” McCann asked. One person responded, “I personally think that students won’t really care. They would be more concerned with saving three hundred dollars.” However, the room was torn on this, arguing the morality of corporate naming rights. The controversy of Goldcorp renaming the Woodward’s building remains a sore subject for many, so a conclusion has yet to be made.
Discussed building features have included a larger selection of food in the SUB and stadium. As Build SFU hopes to establish a larger sense of community, they are currently finalizing a roadmap to make this five-year plan more digestible. They are in the process of creating another “Think Tank”, which will allow for active consultation over the next five years. A project manager will be hired for fall 2012, and in a year they hope to have the location set. After two years, they hope for sustainability to be addressed.The floor plan will be negotiated after four years.
