An unsigned advertisement for Monday’s Lobo Development meeting with the Resident Hall Association proclaimed, “Remember Santa Ana. Do you want answers? Because this is how you get answers.”
About 40 Residence Life representatives gathered Monday to ask the Lobo Development Corporation for answers.
“I think this meeting brought up a lot of really good things,” ACC representative Matt Stein said to the group. “I think there were some serious underlying questions about the day-to-day operations that your leadership has committed to responding to you on.”
In addition to other slated projects, Stein said ACC plans to renovate existing dorms and would begin the process in August 2011.
RHA representatives talked about amenities they would like to see improved or added to the dorms, including movie theaters, study rooms, game rooms, increased kitchen access and larger common areas.
Meeting attendees were more concerned about who would manage ACC’s buildings and whether Residence Life employees would keep their jobs.
RHA representative Amir Chapel said he was worried that ACC’s management team would take over the RHA.
“There’s this scenario where ACC comes onto the campus and initially manages a building or a few buildings and then, over time, they take over the whole housing community …” he said. “Now ACC has their foothold here, and there is a possibility where they could spread and just take over all of residence life as we know it today.”
Walt Miller, Student Life president, said the University has no intentions of eradicating RHA, but has not figured out what the management structure will be. He said ACC might manage buildings, but it would be governed by UNM policies and the Pathfinder student handbook.
“I want to be very clear,” he said. “We have an excellent Residential Life community program. My intent with the direction of this project is not to fix that. It is a fine program. My focus is to have more people have the opportunity that you and others are having and make sure we have the amenities to do that.”
Residence Life Specialist Megan Chibanga said that alcohol will be allowed at Lobo Village, which contradicts the Pathfinder policies.
“(Drinking) is clearly not outlined as OK in the Pathfinder, or in our community living guide,” she said. “The Pathfinder clearly lays out the very few areas that allow alcohol … one being the family housing, so is Lobo Village now going to be added to the Pathfinder as family housing?”
Miller said Lobo Village would be classified as family housing, or an area where alcohol is allowed.
“That policy is being revised by a campus committee,” he said.
Attendees also expressed frustration with the lack of a concrete building plan.
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Thomas Snodgrass, RHA director of programming, said he didn’t understand how so many questions and issues are unanswered.
“You’re giving this nice presentation now, and we’re getting these interesting facts, but we don’t have any solid information about what’s going to happen,” he said. “Aren’t we far enough along in the process that we should have this information?”
UNM and ACC officials explained that uncertainly is typical of an architectural process, and the design process is constantly evolving.
Stein said the “strategic housing plan” does not lay out concrete building footprints or designs; it only allows ACC to develop architectural plans.
“The ‘strategic housing plan’ allows ACC to develop the preliminary materials,” Stein said. “The preliminary materials allow for a milestone to continue the architectural design while we’re negotiating a ground lease to maintain 2012 delivery.”
