Spring Break
Student Union town hall addresses new budget
Megan Henderson
Issue date: 4/14/08 Section: News
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As the University News reported on April 7, the University of Missouri System (UM) Board of Curators met April 4 and approved a revised lower cost for the new union.
"We presented it [the union] at a lower price to save you guys money," said Nick Clark, third-year med student and co-chair of the planning committee. "This wasn't the Board of Curators that came up with this $13.75. … It was our finance crew and our UMKC administrators that actually came up with this $13.75 plan and still worked with our 109,000 square feet. So it's not the Board of Curators who are working your behalf, it's actually our administrators who are working on your behalf."
The $13.75 is the new student fee per credit hour, up to 12 credit hours, for the new union. In a Feb. 1 meeting, the UM Board of Curators told UMKC it must reduce the cost to students of the new union, which was then $16.75 per credit hour.
Clark, who is also a member of the Steering Committee and Project Management Team, discussed the jobs of the planning sub-committees. The operations committee, he said, is deciding where dock access will be to avoid problems faced at the University Center's dock.
"Right now it's pretty much on the front of the University Center, and it's kind of in a bad location because it smells…" he said.
Clark also discussed the committee's plans for 51st Street through campus. He said the street would eventually turn to pedestrian access only.
"We don't want cars or big 18-wheelers … risking the safety of our students on campus," he said.
The Union will also have a paging intercom system, according to Clark.
"Should there be a fire, should there be an intruder, we can announce it over the intercom," he said.
Tadros Abdelmalek, graduate student and co-chair of the Marketing/Publicity and Design/Programming sub-committees, addressed the goals of the Sustainablilty Committee.
"We want to minimize consumption of natural resources and impact on local ecosystems," Abdelmalek said. "Green is a large concern for the planning committee. … We really need to hear what you guys think about that."
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