ASI
survey to work out recreation center
details, award students prizes
By Joseph Serna
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
As recreational centers become a growing trend on college campuses, Cal State
Long Beach is making steps to follow the lead.
“
Our mission statement is to improve our campus,” said Joe Baclig, chairman
of the University Student Union Board of Trustees.
Associated Students, Inc. is looking into whether CSULB students need and want
a new recreational center, and if they are willing to pay for it.
ASI estimates
a fee increase to fund the center could be $95 per semester.
ASI e-mailed a school-wide online survey to students last week to hear opinions
about the needs and costs of a recreational center on campus.
Brailsford & Dunleavy, a facility planning and program management firm that
works with colleges across
the country, is conducting the survey.
Far from becoming a reality, ASI, with the support of CSULB, is taking the initial
steps to see what, if any, kind of recreational facility should be built on campus.
Recent figures put the size of the facility at approximately 75,000 square feet,
but that will change when the survey results come back from the company in early
November.
The biggest concerns with building a recreational center are when, where and
for how much.
ASI said if it is built, a potential fee increase of $45-$95 to the students
would hopefully not take effect until the facility was opened for student use,
which would be two to three years after it passes on a referendum.
Initial statistics show that the first day the survey was released, approximately
5,000 students responded, to the surprise and excitement of ASI.
“
We were shocked and pleased,” said Jamie Pollock, president of ASI. “Our
numbers far exceeded [expectations].”
By the end of the week, 6,800 students—over 18 percent of the campus—had
responded to the survey.
“
The survey will decide if it should be taken to the students in a referendum
in the spring,” Pollock said. “It gives every single student
a voice.”
In case having a voice in the future of the school is not enough, prizes are
being awarded to three random participants in the survey. Along with one student
winning free in-state tuition for two semesters, ASI is also giving away free
books for one semester and a free Apple iPod.
“
The free tuition has helped,” Pollock said.
Though student responses from the first week have not been released, studies
taken earlier in the year give organizers a rough outline of what they can expect.
In more than 20 focus groups, including more than 400 student responses, students
showed openness to increased fees for a recreation center, as long as it had
value, said Dave Edwards, director of the University Student Union.
According to Pollock, in following suit with policies from other schools, the
center would be open to CSULB alumni.
While some schools also offer membership for the public, she said it is unlikely
CSULB would take that route.
According to Edwards and Pollock, this is the first time a campus-wide survey
has been conducted regarding a major project on campus.
“
We’re going to be making a decision for the future of the university,” Pollock
said.
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