Opinion > September 20, 2007

By This column represents the views of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board. |

As the university formulates the campus master plan, the time has come for all members of the university to weigh in on ideas for the future of our campus.

We hope that students in particular will take the opportunity to join in the discussion and offer their insight into ideas for development.

The students are the heart of this campus and the majority of its permanent residents. We know the ins and outs, what works and what doesn’t better than most. We think that the university has thus far identified many of the areas most in need of attention. New structures like a parking deck, a rec center and new, modern dorms rank high on our list.

We encourage the university to consider creating a plan to remodel some of the older dorms. The difference between Bostwick Residence Hall and Collins Residence Hall, the most recently constructed dorm, is marked and we think that many of the older dorms could benefit from a facelift that would improve students’ quality of life.

We are also encouraged by attention to increased environmentalism in future projects at the university. Environmentalism is an investment in our future and we hope that the university can use these practices as a guide for some decision making.

The campus master plan is a huge endeavor, one that we know will not surface completed overnight. We are confident that the university is taking steps to involve the entire community and we hope to see an equal response from students, faculty and staff.