Commons buildings on hold

Author: Andrea Gissing



President Ronald D. Liebowitz will announce this week key changes to the approach the administration will take towards development of commons infrastructure. Liebowitz's plan calls for postponing the renovation of Proctor Dining Hall in favor of building more senior housing.

Liebowitz is quick to note, however, that current students should not expect to see new senior housing in their time at the College. While reluctant to attach a timeline to the new development plan, he does not foresee that any new buildings would be completed before 2010. "For now, we're going to complete Atwater," said Liebowitz, "then we will move on to senior housing."

Through his talks with students, Liebowitz found that the general concern students had with the commons system was the inequalities in housing. While students liked their commons those not in Ross or Atwater commented on inequality in housing. "To them, almost unanimously, agreed that if senior housing was equalized, virtually all of the desire to leave the commons would lessen," said Liebowitz.

"We really haven't had a comprehensive plan out in the community," said Liebowitz about the course of commons system development. When the commons system was implemented in 1998 each of the separate commons came up with mini-plans, with general goals as to what they eventually would look like. The assumption was that they would develop the commons one by one, without a firm plan beyond Atwater. Now, Liebowitz plans to reprioritize the development, first by putting residence halls before dining halls and letting the time frame of development be dictated by finances. "If money were no object, all of the commons would be developed at once," he said.

Raising the quality of senior housing in all commons Liebowitz hopes will encourage seniors to remain on campus. "I believe seniors have an incredible role to play on campus," he said. As well, once the commons have equitable senior housing built, the periphery houses would revert back to places for faculty - young faculty especially - to live, enabling them to be closer to the college community.

"I am committed fully to the commons system. I believe in the commons system," Liebowitz said. Instead of large-scale building projects though, for the next few years the administration will continue to develop programming which enriches the system even before the infrastructure is completed. As he had said at the beginning of the year, Liebowitz's goal is to focus on the human aspect of the College and not just on the building aspect. "I've heard criticism from my faculty colleagues and students about the emphasis on housing."

Discussions on this subject began in the fall semester, brought up especially at the fall Trustee meeting. Those in the commons system who have been consulted seem to be favorable to the change in emphasis. "I think my understanding is that most of us are very comfortable on putting the priority on housing and not dining halls," said David Edleson, dean of Cook Commons. "Commons need gathering spaces, whether that needs to be a dining hall per se needs to be a question."

Edleson emphasizes that it is important people not equate the commons with buildings. "The commons system is a way of organizing residential life. Buildings are secondary." The dorms, he said, would have been needed and built, regardless of the commons system.

Liebowitz plans to announce these changes to the plan in an e-mail memorandum to the College community sometime this week.