A plan was presented by Flad Architects to University of Wisconsin Student Affairs to renovate the Student Activity Center for the first, third and fourth floors, according to the SA Facilities Framework Plan. This is where student services, including Sex Out Loud, Associated Students of Madison and the Food Pantry, are located.
The renovation process would impact RSOs, student staff and the ASM as it would close the SAC for an indefinite period of time, SAC Governing Board Chair Alejandro Hernandez wrote in a letter. This project is for aesthetic purposes, and funding would come from donors or student funds, Hernandez wrote.
But, relocation, construction details, timelines and funding will be addressed at a later face, director of communications and advancement Jenny Bernhardt said in a follow-up email.
“This feels trivial when looking at the struggles that other spaces are having on campus with funding,” Hernandez wrote in the letter. “If we can get this funding from these sources, why spend them on superficial augmentations?”
Renovation benefits include creating a more open entry lobby to provide more visibility into available services and resources, as well as optimizing the use of space on levels three and four, according to the plan.
Additionally, plans include extending entryway window lengths, allowing for more light and flow from outside to inside, according to the plan. There would also be an increase in technology use, including a tech wall and interactive kiosks.
“This reimagined entry would benefit Student Affairs services as well as other student support functions located in the building, such as financial aid and registrar services,” SA wrote.
Additionally, by renovating floors three and four, RSOs would gain more operational space, according to the plan. Currently, the building houses 11,600 assignable square footage for RSOs, but the future target is to allot 20,000 assignable square footage.
This project has been discussed in previous years with 50 input sessions in order to work toward developing a solid plan, Bernhardt said in the email. These sessions included students, registered student organizations, student leaders, staff, campus partners, peers at other institutions and facility assessments along with a survey that went out to all undergraduates and graduate students, Bernhardt said in the email.
This is the first time that associate vice chancellor for SA Argyle Wade said the SAC governing board will not have a final say in the project, Hernandez wrote. Student employment and organizations’ concerns were brought up by the board, but were considered not relevant enough to be addressed, according to Hernandez.
The ongoing sessions will include student employees and organizations, and there will still be a survey for RSOs and more input opportunities as ideas develop, according to Bernhardt.
Two feedback sessions were held on Wednesday with ASM where student leaders voiced concerns on the developing project. Student leaders are in the process of creating a letter of concerns to send to SA, according to Hernandez.
Designers are still collecting feedback from students for what improvements can be made, and impacts to students could range depending on what feedback is received, ASM press office director Drew Wesson said in an email.
Editors note: This article was updated to include an emailed statement from the ASM press office and to include emailed statements from director of communications and advancement Jenny Bernhardt correcting who the plan was written by and further details.
