Editorial: Are students part of the Master Plan?

Lehigh’s campus is as beautiful as it is hilly.

The University Center, which many students jokingly compare to Hogwarts, sits in the middle and rings its bells every 15 minutes. The Alumni Memorial Building, Linderman Library and other historic buildings are the landmarks of our campus. But so are all the quirky buildings — like Chandler-Ullmann Hall with its labyrinth-like construction. The campus, from Farrington Square to the Hill, is something students will always remember about their experience.

But do you know what it will look like in 10 years?

Although nobody knows for sure, looking at the Campus Master Plan gives students some insight into how the Lehigh administration wants it to look.

As students, we’ve been seeing some of the Master Plan in action with the renovation and reopening of Williams Hall and the announcements of the renovation of Chandler-Ullmann and the University Center. The Chandler-Ullmann project aims to renovate the inside of the building to have it better meet student and faculty needs. The project has involved architecture students who will help with the redesign.

The renovation of the University Center is conceptualized so as to help make it truly the heart of campus as a student hub. The survey sent to students asking them what they would want in that building is an indication the administration wants student input on this project so they can give students the spaces they want in the building.

But what about other student needs?

Students have been vocal about the things they don’t like about campus and think should be improved. A petition made by Katie Kiewel, ’15, on change.org proposes a student-elected board to assist in the creation of parking policies. The petition has 886 supporters. Students complain about the lack of parking and the high price of parking passes on campus. 

It’s not just parking — students also care about campus transportation. On a campus like Lehigh’s where the majority of classes are down the Hill, but student residences and Greek houses are up the Hill, the buses become part of our routine. The lack of these services on the weekends is something that upsets some. There was a pilot weekend bus program initiated by Student Senate last semester, but the service is only offered on Sundays.

Although the Master Plan addresses both of these problems by proposing different bus lines and new parking, these motions have yet to come to fruition.

Student needs should be held highly for the implementation of the Master Plan. Even though some projects are necessary because they will improve the infrastructure of buildings, others — like the renovation of the University Center — don’t seem as important or geared toward student’s current needs.

Student voices and opinions need to be heard and addressed, but the long-term shouldn’t be sacrificed in this pursuit. Although the administration should try to see what student needs are and address them, the student population, and therefore their needs, are constantly changing. The students might bring up short-term needs that can be worked on in balance with the long-term needs of the campus as a whole.

But there are a few universal issues that would benefit any student — like the addition of more study spaces around campus. On a typical 4 o’clocks week, it’s difficult to find study spaces — especially ones for collaborative works.

The University Center renovation — although it doesn’t seem as important to us — might address some of this study space issue. The renovation sounds like it would bring a great space to the campus for people to use in various ways and make it the real heart of the campus. But for the current student population, the University Center just isn’t that building and many of us won’t be here when it finally is. Which is why Lehigh should also focus on short-term student needs as well.

Although the Master Plan went through various approval processes and committees, Lehigh should set out to have campus improvement focus groups and ask a variety of students with a variety of majors and social diversity what spaces they would improve or what services they need. Faculty should also be included in these discussions since they stay on our campus far more than just four or five years.

Having different student voices every year could help meet student needs as it happen but also help plan for the incoming students.

After all, who knows more about student needs than the students themselves?