As we begin discussions on how to effectively address the issues that face the Reitz Union, Student Government and the Alligator have teamed up to host a town hall forum. The purpose of this town hall forum will be to provide students an opportunity to learn about the significant issues facing our Union and engage each other in a constructive conversation.
Throughout this process my administration has sought the opinions and concerns of the entire student body. But in order to best gauge student opinion on this issue, I have supported a ballot initiative to appear on the Spring 2010 election ballot asking whether students support renovating the Reitz Union and more specifically, funding a project through a student fee. We want to make sure any questions that students may have about this important issue are answered so voters can move forward to the Spring elections with all information available to them.
The forum will be held today at 4 p.m. in the Reitz Union Rion Ballroom.
At the forum we will be discussing the “State of the Union” and how it will affect the student experience on campus today and for years to come.
As you probably know by now, when the Reitz Union was opened in 1967, it served the 19,000 students of the university as a place to gather, eat and study. At the time, it was a state of the art facility which nearly $6 million to build.The creation of the Union was funded through a student fee. Since then there have been many renovations but the Union still retains most of its original infrastructure like the air conditioning system and power converters. A recent survey detailed the need for $42.5 million in repairs to the building over the next 15 years just to remain operational and as-is. Coupled with the lack of space for student organizations, study areas, dance groups and retail options the Reitz Union has fallen behind the student unions of universities like USF, UNF and FSU.
These universities have already successfully rebuilt their student unions using a student fee like the one we are discussing today.
I believe that history doesn’t choose the right time for us to leave our legacy. We do. And a new student union, a new Heart of the Gator Nation, can be a hallmark of our university’s unending commitment to coming together for a greater cause. I invite all of you to continue the conversation with your friends and classmates as we navigate our options to improve our university with a student union that we can all be proud of. I hope you will participate in today’s dialogue as we try to make the best decisions to preserve the integrity of our student experience at Florida’s flagship university. Go Gators!
