The Undergraduate Assembly wants to make sure that students have a say in Penn's growth east.
The UA Development Committee is providing support to the executive and student-oriented task forces as they determine how best to use the 24-acre Postal Service property, located between Locust and Market streets, that Penn will acquire in 2007.
"We want everyone on the campus to be talking about this. ... We need to think outside the box," said UA member and Wharton senior Cynthia Wong, who sits on both the UA committee and the student task force.
Through interviews with over 75 students, the UA and the task force together have established three priorities for campus expansion.
The discussions have revealed strong interest in creating more affordable student housing, more green space and a 24-hour, multifunction student pub with amenities such as gaming and lounge and study space.
"Those are the three most popular answers but may not turn out to be the biggest things" as interviews and surveys continue throughout the year, Wong said.
Wong said that along with conducting interviews, the UA is supporting the task force by conducting research on expansion at other universities.
"We are looking at what the other Ivies ... and schools with similar environments like Columbia are doing," Wong said, adding that the committee is taking particular note of high-tech student centers across the country.
College junior Georgiana Cavendish, who sits on the UA committee, said that research has shown that Penn has one of the highest proportions of green space among urban campuses. The committee wants to maintain or increase the amount of green space.
Cavendish added that interviews have revealed that students want to keep Penn unified despite the more far-flung campus.
Together, the joint undergraduate-graduate student task force and the UA are trying to communicate to administrators what Penn students envision for the postal lands.
"In our meetings ... student leaders have asked engaging questions and are actively seeking student input from their undergrad and graduate peers," said Mark Kocent, principal planner in the Office of the University Architect.
"In terms of how the administration is reaching to us ... they paint it like a blank slate. ... They are taking us very seriously and responding to us almost instantaneously," Wong said.
Approaching the postal lands this way "is really cool. It's basic, but it also allows people to use their imagination. Anything [students] ever thought could make Penn better, let us know and [the administration] will take that very seriously."
Some UA members are still concerned about the amount of say that the student body has with officials, however.
"There is a trend of saying, 'Here's a blank slate,' which allows [administrators] to get away with various activities without consultation," College senior and UA member Spencer Scharff said.
Currently, administrators are conducting a complete financial cost-benefit analysis of campus development to find out what changes will most benefit Penn in the long run.
"We don't want to do the cheapest expansion possible, [we] want to do the best we can. We are going to look at ... the end goal that we have in mind," Wong said.
She added that by the end of the academic year, with the help of professional survey developers who have not been chosen yet, the task force hopes to conduct a comprehensive e-mail survey to gauge student opinion on campus expansion.
The committee also plans to organize a more student-oriented town hall meeting that will focus on student concerns, such as green space and a student center.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.