Student Association Proposes New Student Space Plan

by Myles Goldman

Editors Note: This story was edited on Friday, January 25th to reflect the University's response to the SA proposal.  Initially, the University could not be reached for comment.

The Student Association on Thursday officially released a new student space proposal designed to advance dialogue with the University on how to improve the student life experience at GW.  The plan titled, "Student Association Spring Report: Long Term Commitment to Student Space" is the second proposal Student Association President Ashwin Narla has led during his nearly 9 months as President.

The eight page report focuses on two areas on campus to be developed for student space, the Marvin Center 3rd floor outdoor terrace and the basement of the Square 77 project, which is informally known to many as the "Super-dorm construction project.".  In the case of the Marvin Center 3rd floor terrace the proposal specifically calls for the terrace to be renovated to allow for either a specific GW coffee store or a Starbucks, a graduate student lounge, meeting rooms for student organizations that would be built in a way that they could also be used for study rooms, and that access to the renovated space be 24/7 to students.

As for Square 77, which is where the University intends to replace Crawford, Schenley, and West End residence halls with a twelve-story dorm housing freshmen and sophomores, the proposal calls for the 60,000 square foot basement of the new building to be student space and possibly include more dinning options, the relocation of Student Health Services, which is currently located on K Street, and student lounges.  Additionally, the proposal requests there be a student present at each of the planning meetings for the new building.

The SA's proposal is a follow-up to the one they published in the early portion of the fall semester.  The first proposal included ten recommendations the SA suggested to increase student space.  Although the University took one of the suggestions in October and extended the hours Duques and Funger hall are open for students to study-in, GW did little to respond to the other suggestions.  In the cover letter of the proposal, Narla and Vice President Abby Bergren hope the new proposal will be able to move the discussion of student space on campus forward after they spent additional time researching student space efforts at "market basket" schools such as Boston University, New York University, and Tulane University.

The SA will now spend the next two weeks working to gain support from students for the plan.  The marketing plan for the proposal includes circulating a petition around campus asking students to sign that they support the plan, SA leaders meeting with Student organizations to talk about the plan, and the launch of a website: www.gwstudentspace.org, which talks about the plan, includes a copy of the plan, and gives students the opportunity to sign the petition.

On January 31st from 12-2pm the SA will host a rally in Kogan plaza for the plan with free food from Jetties, music, and an opportunity to sign the petition.

After February 6th, the petition will close and Narla plans to bring it with him when he meets with the Board of Trustees at their February meeting on February 7th and 8th.

It's not clear how many signatures the SA hopes to obtain from the student body.  One member of the SA said a target number had not been decided while another is telling student organizations that the SA's goal is to obtain 5,000 signatures.

On Friday University Spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard issued the following response on behalf of the University to the SA proposal.

"We continually work with student leaders to make improvements to the student experience on our campuses.  We will carefully review the Student Association Spring Report.  And, we'll continue to engage in dialogue with the Student Association, other student leaders, faculty, and philanthropic contributors to the university regarding further investments in the student experience including our physical facilities," Sherrard said.  
 
Narla is optimistic he will be able to work with University officials to make the proposal possible.

"They were very helpful [in regards to the first proposal] and I think they will be helpful on the second proposal," he said.

The entire proposal can be found at: www.gwstudentspace.org.