Master Plan reveals space shortage

A study of Georgia College & State University’s current space use shows student center space is less than half what is recommended for a university this size.

Sasaki Associates Inc., a consultant group involved in GC&SU’s master planning process, compared guidelines from the Council of Educational Facility Planners with GC&SU’s existing space use. They found that student center space totaled less than 20,000 sq. feet, not even half the 40,000 sq. feet recommended for a school of GC&SU’s size-even after considering space in the recently opened Student Center.

“The process has clearly shown that there is a lack of student center space-it’s rather dramatic when you look at it. That’s part of the reason for going through a process like this. It will ask us to think in certain ways about our other space in terms of its best uses,” GC&SU President Dorothy Leland said.

The 2005 master planning process began last spring with a comprehensive study of GC&SU’s current physical space availability.

“[The Master Plan is] an evaluation and it’s really the ‘big picture’ plan,” said Leland. “It shows we need more student space. It shows we need more cafeteria space right now-without growing another student. It shows we need audio/visual space without growing by another student, so that’s significant.”

Though the plan recommends solutions to the space problem, the school will not adopt any suggestions until more research is completed. Leland said the University will take the recommendations seriously.

The most recent Master Plan from 2001 highly recommended the purchase of the First Methodist Church and suggested the renovation of the Wellness Depot. Issues not addressed included recommendations to demolish Chappell Hall and Miller Gym, and to relocate the GC&SU art department.

“The last Master Plan recommended that the Department of Art be moved to Ennis when it’s renovated,” Leland said. “We haven’t made a move on that because Ennis hasn’t been renovated, but that recommendation seems to be holding through this master planning process.”

Richard Lou, chair of the art department, serves on GC&SU’s Master Planning Committee.

Lou said he’s looking forward to moving out of Mayfair, Blackbridge and McIntosh-whenever or wherever that may be.

“Once we arrive in a new space, wherever it is, it’s going to be a space appropriate for what we do because right now we exist in converted homes. These converted homes were not made as studio space. They are living spaces,” he said. “They’re beautiful homes, and they’re fun to be in, but not fun to teach in and of course the students loose out because we’re constantly trying to be resourceful in order to make the space as adequate as possible, but sometimes it can’t happen.”

The second phase of Herty Hall’s construction was also part of the last Master Plan.

“There is a Phase II of Herty Hall that was in the last Master Plan and has not been discontinued because we already have that approved by the Board [of Regents], we just haven’t received the funding for it,” Leland said. “We have wonderful science faculty and the biological and chemical sciences are some of our fastest growing majors in our university so they really deserve those facilities, but the funding process in the state can be slow.”

This year’s Master Plan suggestions included increasing the consistency of GC&SU signage, changing the landscape to help enhance campus identity, and increasing the campus’s “green space.”

The Master Plan also shows a shortage of performing arts space, but a shortage of funds and land has led to some creative thinking.

“One of the options that we need to pursue is whether or not some of our performing arts needs might also be needs that are shared by organizations in the community and that we can find opportunities to partner,” Leland said. “Performing arts bring people to your venue and the more we can bring people to downtown Milledgeville, the more we can help support and diversify the business.”

Kathy Fuller, a member of the GC&SU Alumni Association, serves as a community representative on the Master Planning Committee. Her interests in the preservation of downtown Milledgeville and the well-being of GC&SU and its students make her role on the committee a personal one.

“In my love and interest in students, I became interested in how the Master Plan would tie the community and the college together. It’s a marvelous opportunity,” said Fuller. “I’m delighted that the master planning group is particularly sensitive to the unique aspects of this campus as an historic location with beautiful buildings.”

Fuller said she’s looking forward to a visually unified campus.

“It seems to me, for the first time in many years, efforts are being made to hold to the original concept that this campus is a place of beautiful buildings that are structurally sound, architecturally pleasing and yet quite functional. I’m very hopeful this process will lead us back into seeing this campus as a cohesive unit with buildings that tie into the past, but are very appropriate to the present.”

Harold Mock, a student on the Master Plan Committee, said even though the plan might create some inconvenient construction needs, the wait would be well worth it.

“Every time this university seeks to better the campus… the quality of life at this institution increases,” Mock said. “Our university is growing and thriving at an unprecedented rate, and so is the value of our diplomas. Although students may not see the completion of some of these projects, by matriculating here, they made a life-long commitment to GC&SU.

President Leland said projects suggested in the Master Plan are only recommendations and costs of construction, renovation or relocation would not be known until more planning has been completed.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Jan 28 2005. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry