Facilities enhancement requests open for submissions
Utah State University was founded in 1888, with Old Main being the first building on campus. Over time, new buildings have found their place all around campus, but some are due for updates.
Every January, students and faculty can submit facilities enhancement requests for on-campus issues they encounter daily. This includes small details like adding more outlets or replacing furniture, or bigger issues such as creating more handicap-accessible spaces. This opportunity is also extended to statewide campuses but goes through the committee in Logan.
With a $200,000 budget, there are many opportunities for improvement around campus.
“It’s a significant amount of money that really gives students a chance to directly impact the facilities on campus,” said USUSA PR director Carter Ottler.
USUSA executive vice president Aly Cinq-Mars oversees the facilities enhancement funds. She also sits as chair for the Facilities Enhancement Committee, which is a collaborative effort between a USU facilities planning, design, and construction architect; the USU classroom technology & media productions project coordinator; the USU student involvement and leadership center associate director; and six other USUSA senators whose purpose is to provide perspectives from various colleges. Together, this committee will review all requests in February after this year’s deadline of Jan. 26.
The committee also meets in September to focus on the year’s previous approved requests, specifically the ones that were not completed or generated excess funds.
The committee must have a two-thirds majority approval vote for a request to be funded. Last year, all projects were able to be at least partially funded.
“I’ve talked to students and a lot of them have thought about the buildings on the Quad and the TSC being that they’re the oldest ones on campus,” Cinq-Mars said. “Because they don’t have escalators in them and we have friends who are wheelchair-bound, and they’re not able to get up the stairs without having somebody physically carry them and so they lose their independence there.”
Other prospective projects include replacing furniture in the Richard and Moonyeen Anderson Engineering Building, adding more outlets to the TSC Hub and adding more changing stations in bathrooms, specifically men’s, to aid parents on campus. Requests are most often approved in order of importance.
“There’s lots of different ways that it can be used. I think that’s what’s great about all students being able to request. There are some things that maybe we don’t see that other students notice in their daily lives,” Ottley said.
Once projects are approved, USU Facilities carry them out. After all the projects are approved and the appropriate amount of funds has been allocated, any excess funds carry over to the next year.
If students are looking to submit a request, they can do so on the USU website under Involvement. There is a form that requires contact information as well as an explanation for why their specific request needs to be fulfilled. Students cannot submit an enhancement request anonymously.
Those with questions can contact Cinq-Mars or visit TSC 326.