Original planning for the center began in September of 1994, with visits by the Campus Center Committee to several area colleges in order to assess their campus centers. Visits were made to Amherst College, Wesleyan College, and Bryant College. The purpose of these visits was to get ideas for WPI's Campus Center, as well as to learn from others' mistakes. These ideas were incorporated with ideas from a number of focus groups, consisting of individual students, student organizations, alumni, faculty and staff. In addition, surveys and meetings with consultants took place. Lists of problems to be addressed with the building of the campus center; as well as a number of goals of the campus center were developed in this stage.
It is hoped that the construction of a campus center will address a number of problems that currently exist on campus. Among them are: an overall lack of center to the campus; lack of space for necessities such as campus programming, student activities, storage and offices; inadequate meeting rooms; inefficient campus dining space and a lack of proximity between student service offices and student organization space. Presently, the entire campus is currently operated as a "campus center;" a problem that can be solved by the addition of a Campus Center to WPI.
A number of goals for WPI's Campus Center have been created. One goal is to provide a more friendly and open atmosphere for all community members, as well as a gathering place for the whole community. Another is to build a sense of community and pride. In addition, a campus center would have the ability to unify undergraduate and graduate students in one setting, as well as offer a place where students and faculty could get together. According to Janet Richardson, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, the center should be "a place where the campus can come together."
The proposed plans for the campus center include space for a number of essential services. There will be an arrival lobby and an information and reception area, which will provide an introduction to the center and would provide information about upcoming events on campus. The post office and student mailboxes, as well as the bookstore and convenience store, would be moved from their present location of Daniels Hall into the new center. A food court, as well as a coffeehouse and a pub/restaurant, will provide a large variety of dining options and different atmospheres to students, faculty, staff and visitors. Conference rooms, with the possibility of smaller, adjacent meeting rooms would serve the needs of many members of the WPI community. A number of lounges would be located around the building, and would include facilities such as seating and TVs. A game room and multipurpose room are also included in the plans, as well as an area for vending machines and an ATM machine.
The Campus Center will be able to accommodate a number of student organizations, such as the Student Government Association, the Graduate Student Organization, and the IFC/Panhellenic Council, with the possibility of also accommodating several student publications. Storage space will be available for Lens and Lights, as well as other storage areas for organizations on campus that do not currently have office space. It is also a good possibility that the center would have office space for the Student Activities Office and the Student Life Office, which are currently located in Daniels Hall.
The Campus Center Committee is currently in the process of choosing a site on which to build. This process consists of exploring any possible site on campus, and at the same time developing criteria for a successful campus center so that each site can be weighted against that criteria. Some examples of what those criteria may include are: building near the physical center of the campus rather than on a perimeter; building in a safe, well-lit area; allowing access for service vehicles, as well as cars and pedestrians and the aesthetics of a particular surrounding.
Another issue to consider would be the land on which it is to be built, and whether or not building on a particular site would block important views on campus or destroy "sacred land." A major issue to consider in the site selection process is parking. Many problems with parking currently exist on campus, and the building of a campus center will only add to this problem. A suitable site for the center would be one that is adjacent to a parking area. The Campus Center Committee is looking at sites on campus with enough square footage to accommodate the building, and is open to any suggestions.
Plans for the WPI Campus Center are not yet final. If you would like more information or would like to offer any suggestions regarding the building, you can do so by contacting Janet Richardson, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, via email at jbrich@wpi.