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Campus rehab cheers students

BY YONNY AGUILAR

Newly-renovated classrooms and a revamped Learning Resource Center greeted fall students on the Van Ness campus

Running late for class or work makes it is easy to miss the new wave of tangible school improvements around the University of the District of Columbia's Van Ness campus that were waiting for students this fall. They include updated classrooms, a complete overhaul of the Learning Resource Center and the completion of some restrooms.

Classrooms and offices in Building 39 have been rehabbed. Mass Media students now have state-of-the art news lab on the B-level in Building 42.

Professor Peter Interdonato, who teaches in the graphic communications program oversaw the renovation of the lab this summer. He said, "We thank campus services and Stu Gardner for their support. We still have a lot of additional needs as well. For example, the Graphics Communication lab needs major renovations, as well as our Final Cut suites. These renovations are critical to meet the objectives and needs of our programs."

Sophomore Shelmith Kariuki welcomes the changes, especially the new computers in the library. "It is important for students to be able to study and concentrate without someone disturbing them," she said regarding the new arrangement of the study desks in the library. "Now I can focus on studying."

Over the past three years Director of Campus Services Girard Johnson has overseen the slow transformation taking place in some areas of the university, among them the long awaited new electric escalators and elevators.

After a semester in which tuition increases sparked controversy among some students, Johnson admits that the money for the new developments students are seeing had already been approved and set aside by the city.

"The money from the tuition increase will help start and advance new projects," said Johnson.

According to Johnson students can expect to see more developments, including some technology ones over the next three years. School officials said there will also be spending for the maintenance and repair of school buildings and infrastructure costing around $25.5 million.

More significant will be the spending to repair the garage and plaza deck at a cost of $5.5 million and the concrete steps and pathways will undergo a $1.1 million makeover. Furthermore, the higher education back office will be allocated $4.5 million and the academic laboratories will be restored for $8.4 million. A further $6 million will be necessary to maintain the building.

 

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