Students who study late will have a little more space to spread out in the fall semester.
Student Body President Ashton Charles announced during Tuesday's Student Senate meeting that the ground and first floors of the Reitz Union will be open until 3 a.m. beginning in the fall.
The Hub, which is the current late-night study hangout, will likely close at 8 p.m. on weekdays starting in the fall
Currently, the Reitz Union closes anywhere between 9 p.m. and 1:30 a.m., depending on the day of the week.
"It's just a logical move," Charles said of the change. "We'll be saving money and allowing more space for students to be there."
She said moving late-night study hours to the Reitz Union will save the university about $35,000. The costs of keeping the ground floor and first floor open late will be taken out of the Reitz Union budget.
In the fall, the Taco Bell and Starbucks in the Reitz Union will introduce later business hours, and Subway may follow suit, she said.
Charles said this move not only saves money, but it addresses some safety concerns created while the late study hours were held in the Hub.
"[The Hub] was really difficult to get to," Charles said. "People were trying to park, or if they lived on campus they had to walk in the dark."
The Reitz Union has more security and more parking, Charles said.
She said she has seen many students studying at the Reitz Union until it closes anyway.
"It's just legitimizing the fact that people can study here," Charles said.
