Activity area for students

Space is an issue on campus. There simply isn’t enough of it to go around; students, faculty and staff are getting crammed into tighter spaces and separated further from the rest of their college or department each year.
Departments and colleges are spread from one end of campus to the next, and classes are being taught in space allocated for student use by SUU policy, which is cited in a story on the front page of today’s Journal.
Until the Shakespearian Festival’s season ends each year there are some acting courses taught in the lobby of the Randall Jones Theatre, and it isn’t even odd to some students to balance a notebook on their laps in the student theatre during class.
Classes in these areas have not caused much fuss in the past, but classes in the newly remodeled multi-use area of the Sharwan Smith Center are a different story. This is because the room serves as a hallway to busy student offices, and was remodeled with intent to use it for these classes.
The SUUSA Assembly, Presidential Ambassadors, the I.D. center and the University Journal all have offices that are accessed though this room, with students needing to come and go during class time.
In addition, there was no emergency requiring these classes be moved to the area, and no other arrangements have been made for the future. We find these circumstances unacceptable
We believe scheduling class in a room used as a hallway is damaging to not only those in the class, and those who need to get to these offices, but to the entire university.
First, the use of student space for academic classes harms SUU’s chances of receiving funding for new buildings, as the legislature will not accept it as efficient use of space.
We believe housing classes in the multi-use area not only inhibits much-needed funding, but hinders student activities and learning. Forcing students who need access to the offices to interrupt classes or detour around the building is not our idea of efficient space use.
Further, expecting students enrolled in classes to deal with interruptions and noises from the adjacent, open-door offices is

 

not quality education.
Perhaps the most glaring problem with using the Sharwan Center for academics is that its upkeep comes from student fees. We do not support the use of student fees for academic classes. We believe the multi-use space should be used for student activities other than classes. There are several generally vacant conference rooms in the Sharwan Center, which could be used.
We believe SUU has academic space to house these classes. It may take scheduling in the afternoon, or even breaking up class sections, but they do not belong in the student center. We believe students in class should have every opportunity to learn, and students needing to access offices should be able to do so without intruding on that opportunity.
This opinion is the collective perspective of the University Journal and its editorial board. The editorial board meets every Wednesday at 11 a.m. in Room 172 of the Sharwan Smith Center. Visitors are welcome.