Construction season is coming to a close.
Most of the bulldozers and jackhammers have disappeared for the winter, but the long-term effects of the many projects are still waiting to be seen.
The most notable projects are the new crosswalks, which add beauty and pedestrian safety, the construction of the Campus Visit Office and Welcome Center in the Bruce Pitman Center and some lighter construction on the roads that cut across campus.
When it comes to the crosswalks on Deakin Avenue and 6th Street, many students grumble that the money is going to waste on improving campus aesthetics. However, something as simple as changing the look of a street crossing may just sway a prospective student toward attending the University of Idaho.
The signs that were built last year on 3rd Street entrances to the university may not have added any functionality to UI, but they make it easier to see the university and it helps direct potential students inward. These changes can make students feel more at home at UI.
Almost all of the construction that is taking place aligns with UI President Chuck Staben”s goal to increase student enrollment at UI over the next few years.
When touring prospective colleges, many students examine how the campus looks, and that can make all the difference. If these small improvements make people feel more welcomed on campus, it could mean more students would be willing to enroll.
In terms of the costs of these projects, the budgets are actually managed fairly well.
Some smaller renovations, like at the Pitman Center, will cost less than $500,000, while other larger projects like the refreshes to more than half of Wallace, will come in at just over $4 million, according to the estimates of Ray Pankopf of UI Facilities.
This may seem like a lot, but compared to what other colleges sometimes spend, the amount appears minimal.
While most of these construction projects don”t appear to have a direct impact on current students, especially juniors and seniors, it is important to think about the meaning of the projects and what they are trying to accomplish.
For example, it is important to keep in mind that if something simple can sway a student to enroll, it benefits the entire campus. As enrollment increases, so does the amount of revenue generated by the university. If that amount increases, perhaps the administration will make other changes with more immediate effects for enrolled students.
Investing the money in small projects now could make way for larger projects in the future.
Besides, not all of the construction will be useless for most of the currently enrolled students. The College of Education will reopen in the fall of 2016 and the new IRIC building will also be completed next fall.
Construction may seem pointless to some, but these are steps in a good direction to improving our campus as a whole.
– CW