UMKC to vote on new student center

By Jaryd Wilson

Published Feb. 13, 2007

As students at MU wait for the Brady Commons construction to begin, a new student center is in the final stages of planning at the UM-Kansas City campus.

A student survey questioning whether to increase fees to pay for the construction is all that stands in the new building's way. In 2005, MU students voted to increase student fees to pay for the New Student Center Project.

Similar to the Brady Commons expansion, the new UMKC student center will house many services that are spread throughout the campus.

"The focus of the new student union will be on the highest-use student activity spaces," UMKC Campus Facilities Management Director Bob Simmons said.

Simmons said the space would be used for retail dining, activity spaces, offices for student organizations and government, a bookstore and a ballroom.

MU Student Auxiliary Services spokeswoman Michelle Froese said Brady Common's expansion is addressing many of UMKC's similar needs.

"The new student center will address many problems by expanding many needed areas," Froese said. "These expansions include study and lounge space, dining options and seating, student programming space, student organizations space and student governance space."

The construction on Brady Commons is delayed until the summer due to construction and budget problems.

Matt Sokoloff, a student coordinator for the New Student Center Project, said the bids came in approximately $7 million over the anticipated budget.

The planning committee is considering cutting prices, offering two separate bids and also cutting out some parts of the projects, including ceiling hangings and rounded corners, Froese said in a previous interview.

Both facilities will solve many of the issues of space but are also being built as a result of increased student enrollment.

Enrollment at UMKC has increased by about 2,000 students throughout the past six years for a total of more than 14,000 students. The University Center, UMKC's student center, was built to house roughly 5,000 students.

The fall semester 2006 enrollment at MU was 28,253, which was an increase. As a result of growing student rates, Brady Commons has been running out of space.

"The current Brady Commons simply cannot address the needs and expectations of our growing student population," Froese said. "Study space doesn't exist, comfortable hang-out space doesn't exist, the current food court seating is cramped, food options are limited and space for student organizations, programs and services is inadequate."

Froese said of 450 student organizations, only 30 have space in Brady Commons. She also said 48 fraternities and sororities, which represent nearly 5,000 students, share a 16-by-32-foot space and six minority student organizations share one office.

UMKC will need to have the approval of its students to pay the fees if it were to begin the project, but students also have a say in exactly what goes into the new student center.

"We are currently conducting a study with our students to understand the types of programs and services they would like to see in a new student union," Simmons said. "This study is also evaluating their willingness to tax themselves in the form of student fees to finance such a facility."

Students at UMKC would not pay fees directly to University Center now, and it hasn't been determined how much they would have to pay for a new center.

Students pay $22 per semester at MU for Brady Commons maintenance, but the fee will increase to $57 once the first phase of construction is completed.

"Both the budget and student fee have not been defined yet, as they will both be based upon the feedback from the student focus groups and surveys," Simmons said.

Dustin Jensen, a student coordinator for UMKC's project, said the environment is an issue with the new building.

"In addition to providing our growing student population a place to congregate, the new student union offers UMKC an opportunity to demonstrate the environmental and economic benefits of green design," Jensen said. "A beautiful, healthy and well-functioning green student union could inspire Kansas City's next generation of homebuyers to demand green housing and office buildings."

Simmons said the campus-wide student referendum would occur the first week of April.