Iowa City Press Citizen, IA
03/21/06
UI presents 5-year building plan
Regents hear need for dorm renovation
By Gregg Hennigan
Iowa City Press-Citizen
OTTUMWA -- University of Iowa officials Monday provided members of the Iowa
state Board of Regents their plans to change the look of the UI campus in coming
years.
UI presented the board with its five-year campus master plan and a master plan
for residence hall renovation at the board meeting in Ottumwa. The board only
received the plans and did not vote on their approval.
The plans outline the construction of new buildings, renovation of existing ones
and other needs, such as parking strategies.
In addition, UI officials said more immediate solutions are needed to address the
stress caused by an incoming freshman class that is estimated at about 4,300
students next fall.
"That would make this the biggest freshman class at the university in 20 years
and maybe longer," UI Provost Michael Hogan said.
Residence halls have been over capacity for eight years, said Von Stange,
director of residence services. The residence hall master plan calls for a threephase renovation of several dorms at a cost of about $35 million.
Regent Jenny Rokes, a recent University of Northern Iowa graduate, said the
improvements would make for a better on-campus living experience for students.
"I know a lot of those incoming freshmen will be very excited to stay in renovated
halls," she said.
The separate campus master plan would update the previous plan from 1998.
Since that time, UI has added 2.4 million square feet of new building space and
renovated 1.8 million square feet of existing space.
According to the master plan, UI is planning construction of an additional 535,000
square feet of new building space within 10 years. Included in that total is a
Campus Recreation Center, College of Public Health building and Hygienic
Laboratory.
The plan also includes 1.8 million square feet in potential future projects.
With land scarce to come by, the plan calls for some of the expansion to occur by
infilling or the redevelopment of existing structures.
For example, 130,000 to 140,000 square feet of new space could be added to
the block around Seashore Hall through infilling, according to the plan.
The campus master plan also addresses parking needs and encourages the
protection and enhancement of the campus environment through landscaping
and by maintaining open space during growth.
Also on Monday:
• The board received an annual report on student financial aid.
In 2004-05, students at the regent universities received a total of more than $692
million in financial aid, an increase of 4.6 percent over the previous school year.
At UI, the average indebtedness for those graduating with debt in 2004-05 was
$27,235, compared with $29,480 at Iowa State University and $24,291 at the
University of Northern Iowa. The average indebtedness nationally in 2003-04
was $21,814, including PLUS loans, according to the report.
Conversely, 41.4 percent of UI graduating seniors in 2004-05 had no debt,
compared with 30 percent at ISU and 22.9 percent at UNI. Nationally, 34 percent
of graduating seniors in 2003-04 graduated without debt.
• The board approved UI's request to move the introductory laboratory and
didactic elements of the Clinical Laboratory Sciences Program to the University
of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Neb., in a cost-saving measure.
Students would spend 10 weeks in Omaha in the summer before their final year
receiving laboratory training. The majority of their clinical experience would
remain in Iowa City.
Regent Mary Ellen Becker of Oskaloosa said she was happy with the change
because the program had been under consideration for elimination.
• The board approved the renaming of the Interdisciplinary Center for Macular
Degeneration as the Carver Family Center for Macular Degeneration at the
Carver College of Medicine.
The Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust of Muscatine recently made a $10 million gift
to the center.
• Regent President Michael Gartner unanimously was elected to serve as
president for the term from May 2007 to April 30, 2008.