With the recently initiated renovations of meeting rooms on the third floor of Newcomb Hall, more student groups are turning to academic spaces for their meetings. Meanwhile, student enrollment continues to constrain classroom space, making it more important than ever that University authorities work in good faith to accommodate the needs of student groups seeking to arrange regular times and locations for their meetings. The SOURCE is the primary method of reserving rooms on Grounds, but it is clear from rumblings among student leaders that they are not happy with the system.
Primarily at issue is a SOURCE policy that prohibits student organizations from reserving meeting space in academic buildings more than 36 hours in advance. This rule, which lasts throughout the first four weeks of the semester, has placed a burden on large student groups that often advertise standard meeting times and locations. What has caused particular frustration, however, has been the inconsistent implementation of this policy by the University Registrar and the Office of the Provost. In previous semesters, student groups have been able to book regular meeting locations during and before the four week window despite the policy being in place.
According to officials at the University Registrar and the Office of the Provost, the process for reserving a room in an academic building is exactly the same this semester as it has been previously. "The 36-hours policy has always been in place at the beginning of each semester," Assoc. University Registrar Sheila Tolley said. "With regards to [meeting] time, it is the same as always," added Wynne Stuart, associate provost for academic support and classroom management. Any student groups that met regularly in classroom space during the first four weeks of past semesters "were more squatting than having reservations," she said, referring to the process of holding meetings in rooms without properly reserving them. The four-week policy is in place to ensure lecturers and professors have first priority when reserving academic rooms for classes and discussions before the privilege is given to student groups.
Yet in at least one case, University administrators not only tacitly permitted but explicitly authorized one student group to book a room for the semester during the four week window. In fact, one student group was able to reserve meeting space for the fall 2010 semester in June of that year. The group received similar confirmation when it sought meeting space for spring 2011 but later had that authorization retracted because of the 36-hour policy. Other organizations have reported similar issues.
But there are alternatives to reserving academic spaces. Meetings can also be held in "satellite" locations, said Evan Shields, Student Council vice president for organizations. But these venues - which include the University Chapel, Runk Green Room and Student Activities Building, among others - are often at seemingly remote locations and are therefore less desirable than academic rooms closer to Central Grounds.
The hard line that is now being taken by administrators is understandable in light of strains on meeting space across Grounds. Fluctuating course enrollment necessitates the frequent relocation of classes, making it difficult to guarantee clubs access to specific rooms during the first few weeks of a semester. It is reasonable for University officials to expect student groups to be flexible during this time frame. Although student groups must be willing to accept the fact that academic interests are paramount when scheduling conflicts arise, the University administration should strive to uniformly enforce policies related to the availability of meeting spaces.
Read More
CARTER: U.Va. Health owes clarity to transplant patients
By Nathaniel Carter | 2 days agoUnfortunately, this negative press is fully the fault of U.Va. Health — it failed to address significant stakeholder concerns when crafting its justification.
EDITORIAL: Upholding medical amnesty is a collective effort
By Editorial Board | 3 days agoUniversity leadership, Greek life organizations and students themselves must recommit to the safety provided by an effective and knowledgeable use of medical amnesty.
KURTZWEIL: Dockworkers’ unions cannot avoid the threat of automation
By Paul Kurtzweil | 4 days agoInstead of continuing to demand decreased automation, the union should work with the legislature in the hopes of driving investment into the reorganization of the current workforce.
