Last spring, the University moved forward with plans to renovate and expand the EMU and the Student Recreation Center. These projects — as exciting and well-intentioned as they may be — would also come at a significant cost to students. The projects could be funded by new student fees totaling $100 per term for a period of 30 years.
The decisions being made about our student union and recreation center are important ones, and they will affect the cost and quality of our education. These decisions pertain to our campus and our student facilities (the ones that we pay for with our tuition and fees), and it is vital that students have a say in these matters.
This November, the ASUO Executive will call a special election in which the student body will decide whether to approve or reject the fees required for the renovation projects. No matter what opinion you come to have on this issue, please be sure to stay informed on this issue.
Students should also remember that this referendum almost did not happen; the project came very close to moving forward without the consent of those who will be paying for the bulk of it: University students. We are thankful that the approval did not happen this way, largely thanks to the advocacy of the ASUO, and we sincerely appreciate efforts by our University administration to collaborate with the ASUO on this referendum.
That said, we find it troubling that this same administration has already launched a partisan campaign encouraging students to vote yes on the renovation while downplaying the fact that the cost will be an additional $100 per term for each student for the next 30 years. It seems the University has taken a clear stance on what they believe students should do, but we believe that this referendum is an opportunity for students to make their own decision.
The University administration should seek to inform, engage and aid students in making their own decisions about this project, rather than trying to influence the decisions we make. Maintaining the integrity of these elections demands that University administrators step back and allow students to run their own elections. It is not the place of the University to interfere in student elections, and we will not accept the results of an election that is led by anything other than our recognized student government.
Furthermore, some of the student groups most affected by this decision — those whose unions and offices are in the EMU — are being left out of the conversation. Among the groups in jeopardy of losing their spaces, the Survival Center has been discredited as a center by those involved in managing the projects, forcing the group to fight for a space that meets their needs.
There is a lack of student representation with the group that is in charge of planning the new EMU. Programs do not feel included in the planning process, and their many concerns have not been addressed. Proposed spaces for our unions could be smaller and less private, undermining the sense of safe spaces for many groups. The historical importance of certain pieces of art and many rooms within the building has not been fully considered.
We call upon University administrators to stop their campaign to encourage a yes vote. We ask that they start actively engaging the groups that have been left out of this process. Student voices must be heard; we are discussing our union building, and at the moment the voice of the University administration has clouded all others. Students who will be most affected by those decisions are deeply concerned, and these concerns must be addressed. Students face a tough decision this November, and they need to feel informed and confident in their choices.
Ben Eckstein
ASUO president
Michael King@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Michael+King@@
EMU User Group
Thomas Walker@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Thomas+Walker@@
Survival Center Co-Director
Jeremy Hedlund@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Jeremy+Hedlund@@
EMU Board senator