In the expert-led forum Monday night, students were to point out problems to Building UB planners concerning the three university campuses.
The interactive meeting was arranged to encourage student involvement in the preparation for the UB 2020 transformation, according to Student Association President Peter Grollitsch.
"We were looking for ways to get students involved - the Student Assembly, the senate members, and the general public," Grollitsch said. "We wanted to show administration that the Student Association cares, the Assembly cares."
An important part of the conference was the commentary from students concerning their University campuses, according to discussion leader Robert G. Shibley who is one of the chief planners for UB 2020.
According to Shibley, planners have only laid out the plans for the first chunk out of the four-semester schedule of action.
Shibley said the pieces of the plan will come together in draft form in the next four semesters.
"By the third semester, that's November of next year, we'll be looking at a full draft of a plan - the construction schedule and what comes first, second, and third," he said. "Then two years out, we will have the finished draft - the plan that will guide implementation that is always flexible and never concrete."
He calls the current phase the "problem definition" stage.
"These (conferences) are the core of defining problems to be addressed. All of this will be summarized and fed back to the student leadership," Shibley said. "This is all input to the process."
When polled no more than 40 percent of the audience agreed that each individual campus is currently "already a wonderful place to be."
Complaints were far more prevalent than compliments during the discussion. The majority of criticism from students related to North and South Campuses.
Many students criticized North Campus for its lack trees and scenery, and its isolation from the surrounding neighborhoods. Students also criticized the Ellicott Complex for being prison-like.
According to Shibley, the poll's percentage of positive feedback concerning North Campus was the highest the planners have received yet in their public forums.
"I'm so shocked by the vote. My impression of North Campus was much less positive. The public realm is highly deficient," said Fred Bland, head of Beyer Blinder Belle, the firm contracted to lead the development of the UB 2020 physical plan.
Bland's first impression of North Campus was that it was not as inviting as other university campuses - he saw it as a sea of parking lots and lack of scenic places, he said.
Although the lack of trees is a popular complaint among planners and students alike, Bland pointed out the fact that it isn't a problem that can be easily solved since the area's soil has an underlying layer of clay that deters tree growth.
Future improvements on North Campus include a plan to reinvigorate the heart of the campus, the removal of the eight temporary buildings and the construction of a childcare center near the edge of the lake, according to Shibley.
The polls taken at the conference showed that no one strongly agreed that South Campus was physically an enjoyable place to be.
Most students saw the classical architecture and neighborhood accessibility as positive aspects of the campus. The lack of safety, old classrooms and the disconnect between South and North Campuses, were criticized. One student described it as "the forgotten campus."
Students identified poor athletic facilities and nonexistent facilities or alternative housing for Greek organizations as negative aspects of both campuses.
Bland suggested improving the quadrangles, making use of empty historical buildings, removing temporary structures and embracing the existence of escarpments, the same natural phenomenon that causes cliffs and gorges like Niagara Falls.
"These (empty historical) buildings should be used and occupied," Bland said. "Temporary buildings should be removed."
Shibley said prospective projects involve the restoration of Allen Hall and reinvestments in the old chemistry building while incorporating a landscape theme. They also will rid the campus of the temporary structures on South Campus, especially the childcare center.
According to Bland, dealing with the downtown campus requires taking a whole different set of issues into consideration. He held that the differences are not a problem, but rather are an asset.
He explained the campus is in a strategic physical location. The six buildings downtown will connect the university directly to the commerce and culture of the region, he said.
Shibley explained that President Simpson realizes UB will play a significant part in turning the Western New York and Southern Ontario region around from its current state of decline.
"We still lose 13 people a day from the population. We are a region in some continuing decline," he said.
According to Shibley, an influx of a projected 10,000 students from the approximate 27,200 currently enrolled, and an increase in the number of faculty from 8,500 to 11,346 members will generate a total economic impact of $2.6 billion - a significant increase from today's $1.5 billion.
Next semester will be called "Campus Concepts." This will be a further step towards a more firm draft based on administration and public suggestions and reactions.
"The scope of this endeavor is to figure out how, in part, to make the campuses a much better place. Every single act of construction, starting now, should reflect a different and better understanding of how to make a good place," Shibley said. "That is my way of saying we would need to do this plan whether the university plans to grow or not."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
