The Campus Master Plan Reference Group meet today. It was reported that the Council has ratified the Universtiy budget (my apologies this was the Finance Committee, the budget goes to Council next week), no actual budget figures were realeased at this meeting.
We were also informed that the Council (my apologies this was the Finance Committee, not Council which will meet and dicsuss this next week) has agreed to the following – approval of Stage 2 of the Undercroft project, the installation of the emergency communication towers (Stage 1 and Stage 2) and the James Hight betterment project. I later asked for more detail about this project and was told that the following was approved – replacement of radiators, ceilings, lighting, general power, upgrade to the passive fire protection system (i.e. holes and large cracks in the walls), upgrade for fire protection including sprinklers, toilet refurbishment on all floors, fire doors, carpet replacement to podium stairs (north end), remainder of carpet on levels 6 & 7 and other places where carpeting has not been replaced plus refurbishment of Levels 2 & 3 for Learning Skills and Student Services. The refreshing and refurbishment of Level 5 as the staff area for Learning Resources will also go ahead. $1.5 million was voted for this work to be undertaken.

The Commerce Building is under peer review, the Insurers have asked that this process is undertaken. The University is happy to comply.

The Registry and von Haast buildings are awaiting the completion of the framework documantation, this work has been held up with the addition work requested on the Commerce Building. It is not expected taht there will be any problems in getting the Registry building functioning again.

At this meeting of the CMP Reference Group , the UCSA outgoing President talked about the relationship of the UCSA with the University, particularly in relation to buildings. The UCSA building is in limbo at present. The UCSA is very pleased to be involved in the building of the campus heart and to sponsor approriate events. Where does the UCSA fit in? It is an independent arm of the University that works in partnership with the University. The UCSA would like to continue in an ownership position with any buildings that they are involved with, contributing funds to the buildings (currently own 65% of the UCSA building, but do not own the land), they enjoy having an element of control as this is important to the role played by UCSA. They want to support the use of space dedicated for student use, they have a strong connection to the “other side of the river”, while still endorsing the campus heart/urban environment that is currently being created. However the UCSA realises that some events e.g. the Tea Party are not suitable in a space underneath the Library.

There are 4 types of functions that the UCSA is involved in – clubs/societies which need meeting spaces; food which is being taken care off with the Undercroft Stage 2; retail, which will be taken care of in the Stage 3 part of the Undercroft development and will make the centre of the campus viable plus large events. Discussion ranged around making the old UCSA area perhaps for conferences and large University wide events including live performances.

SMT is conducting a CMP workshop next week, particularly looking at the gaps in the existing plan. It has been noted that more work needs to be done on the Maori and Pasifika precint, the Collecge of Education (in reference to it moving to the Ilam Campus), the Academic precinct, this needs a set of principles to guide its development, understanding of the Learning, teaching and reseach facilties and their inter-relationships as well as the Creative, Fine Arts and Performing Arts precinct with auditoriums, display/exhibition spaces and rehersal areas.
All of these ideas will be discussed at the workshop. Yvonne Shanahan reminded the meeting that the budget for this work is considerably smaller now than when this work initially began.

Paul Fleming, PVC Science spoke breifly about the feildstations and the work that is required to upgrade them, and it was interesting to learn that as well as Cass, the University has high country land holdings. These will not form part of the CMP as they are held as Trust Funds.

This was the last meeing of the CMP that Sue McKnight will chair and she thanked the group for their work to date and wished the project well in the future. Chris Whelan (as Acting Director of Learning Resources) will take over the Chair, asked “Where does the CMP Reference Group need to be engaged ?”, members will be asked to take part in smaller working groups after the SMT workshop to test out various theories and ideas, and “What can the University afford to do and when can it do it?”

Happy to answer any questions or to raise issues at the meetings. Please contact me on ext 8720 or via email.

Heather Jenks
Associate University Librarian