M e e t i n g

Meeting Subject:                       Campus and Community Open Houses  

Location:                                   Moyer Student Union and UNLV Foundation Building

Meeting Date / Time:                 April 18, 2002 / 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Moyer Student Union

                                                 April 18, 2002 / 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. UNLV Foundation     

Issue Date:                                May 7, 2002

Participants:                             UNLV Students

Prepared By:                             SmithGroup JJR

DISCUSSION:

The purpose of these meetings was to introduce the campus master plan process to the UNLV students, faculty, staff, and to the greater Las Vegas community.  These were informal "drop in" sessions intended to generate ideas and issues regarding the existing campus conditions and projected needs for the upcoming UNLV Master Plan.  The participants wrote their ideas, comments, and suggestions on seven (7) category / topic boards.  The following text summarizes the comments that were recorded during these sessions.  The text from these sessions is unedited.

Circulation:

What are the good and bad qualities of the sidewalks, roads, parking and entrances on the UNLV campus?

·         Too much staff parking.

·         More paid spaces, less reserved (they are never filled).

·         More parking around congested areas (MSU, CBC, Lied Library, softball field or west of Lied Library).

·         Parking supply is in the wrong place; locate it near students.

·         Need shaded garage space.

·         Add parking structures.

·         The parking garage should have been in front of the MSU.

·         Need convenient parking for dorms.

·         Dorm parking conflicts with event parking.

·         Residents should not be allowed to double park.

·         Make Boy Scout building area a parking garage.

·         Place a parking garage in the T&M lot - closer to CBC building where most students have classes.

·         There is too much dorm parking in the T&M parking lot.

·         Distribution of parking spaces across campus needs to be reconsidered.  The north side is good with the new garage, but there isn't enough on the south side without going all the way to the T&M.

·         Parking supply during convention/speaking events is a problem.

·         Quit selling us out to the conventions.

·         More parking lots or raised parking structures need to be added to the middle or center of campus.  Students need closer parking spots to their classes rather than just the teachers having first dibs on close spots.

·         The parking deck is not near buildings with classes.

·         Need more parking near School of Architecture.

·         Parking to buildings is too indirect and time consuming.

·         Class offerings affect parking.

·         Have shuttles in T&M parking lot that have a steady schedule.  The walk is way too far.

·         Parking "vulturing" for a space.

·         Might pay more for parking if it were more convenient.

·         Put in valet parking and use the money for more improvements.  Have Hotel Management oversee a valet program as training/internships.

·         Put trees and benches down the SSC and driveway area down to new library area (cooler and more visually pleasing).

·         Directional signs/map needed that are readable from cars.

·         Need big signs by each building indicating what's inside building and which way to go to admissions, registration, MSU, etc.

·         Need more benches, shade trees and landscaping in all areas of campus.

·         Break up the Thomas & Mack parking lot with trees, sidewalks, etc. (less asphalt).

·         EPA should be eliminated from campus property and the space devoted to parking.

·         Traffic flow needs improvement.

·         Inefficient use of interior roads and parking lots.

·         We need better alternatives to get to campus, not more parking lots (better public transportation, easier pedestrian and bike access, etc.).

·         Control access to campus.

·         Add more food courts; open evening and weekends.

·         Need US Mail postal convenience center.

·         Need postal services by SSC.

·         Need a bank on campus (Silver State Credit Union).

·         Restaurant on campus.

·         Get rid of the WRI.

·         Schedule more weekend and afternoon classes for better utilization of classrooms.

·         Need improved, more convenient bus stations.

·         Connect Cottage Grove to Harmon.

·         Eliminate carts.

·         Need roads for service carts.

·         Need to be able to use laptops in all UNLV buildings without requiring reconfiguration.

·         Keep UNLV within Maryland Parkway, Tropicana Avenue, Swenson Street and Flamingo Road.

·         With Maude Frazier Hall down, a beautiful entrance to campus could be created.  Frazier occupants can be relocated to Student Services area.

Open Space:

What are your favorite and least favorite exterior spaces (malls, quads, courtyards, etc.) on campus?  What would you add or subtract?

·         Married/grad student housing.

·         Get rid of gazebos.  Need more open areas with grass.

·         We have good green space.

·         Keep center at library green.

·         Library seating area faces south, which is too hot.

·         Need more seating areas along academic mall.

·         No special place exists.

·         Add more food places.

·         Add more common public areas.

·         Conserve water; use more desert landscaping.

·         More parking is needed and security cameras in all parking areas.

·         More bike racks are needed.

·         Campus has pedestrian friendly open green space.

·         The landscape architecture is bland, barren and boring.  Please add more trees, grass, shrubs, flowers, etc.

·         There is a mixture of architectural buildings from the '60s and '70s, then a gap in building to present.  The architectural design should have more of a common theme.  The old buildings are really outdated architecturally and technologically.  The new dorms look great and the new age style should be duplicated.

Environment:

Does the UNLV campus relate to the environment, culture and context of the Las Vegas Valley?  Should it?  How? Where? Why?

·         CSUN should be more open to all students.

·         Maintain central green space.

·         Place art throughout campus.

·         Try not to over water the sidewalks and grass.

·         Eliminate desert on campus.

·         UNLV should relate to desert environment.

·         Create a man-made lake with swans.

·         Need more green grass and trees.

·         Need more bike paths/racks.

·         Fix Warner Fountain.

·         Maude Frazier Hall needs renovation and its own parking lot.

·         Shade is needed at the library.

·         More parking areas are needed.

·         More benches are needed.

·         More shade!

·         Put real landscaping in Architecture Building.

·         No palms.

·         Don't forget those who come to campus for outreach programs

·         Need walkway from library to Desert Landscape Garden.

·         Stop the skateboarders and roller skaters from defacing campus.

·         Put in a skateboard park.

·         Saturday, Sunday and evenings need more services and community-friendly parking.

·         Need more shade in large parking areas such as T&M, or parking structures with shaded walkways.

·         Most buildings and landscape do not relate to our desert environment.  There shouldn't be any grass on campus.  The buildings should be monuments to solar and wind power.

Safety:

Is UNLV a safe campus?  Why?  Why not?

·         Need more campus lighting and brighter lights.

·         Create a bridge across Maryland Parkway so students can cross the street safely.  It can say "UNLV" on it (for example, refer to San Diego State's bridge).

·         Put more vending machines in the buildings.

·         Build a tunnel under Tropicana.

·         Need more shuttle service.

·         Have security in each building after hours and weekends.

·         Improve and enlarge the Student Union and MPE complex to serve more students.

·         Need more lighting at library's main entrance.

·         Improve parking.

·         Skateboarders are a safety hazard for pedestrians.

·         People on the north end of campus need to be able to use the Student Union more.

·         Set up security shacks to monitor non-student vehicular traffic.

·         More emergency phones and visible security are needed at night.

·         Install more full-length mirrors in the bathrooms.

·         There is inefficient space for architecture (Paul B. Sogg Architecture Building).

·         Golf carts are dangerous.

·         Build a crosswalk over by the Beam Music Center across Maryland.

·         The campus is not safe because anybody can come on campus.  Some universities require ID to enter campus and buildings.

·         The traffic at the elementary school is dangerous.

·         Students working for Public Safety just hang out and drive carts around.

·         Improve signage for bus stops.

·         Building signage needs to be consistent with printed maps.

Image:

Does the natural and built environment of UNLV convey the character, prestige and tradition of a premier, urban university?  How?  Where?  Why?

·         Remove some of the less used parking in the middle of campus and replace with restaurants or commons.

·         Have a Greek road.

·         More Greek housing.

·         Get rid of EPA buildings and grow with new buildings.

·         Need a spirited, impressive main entrance.

·         An information center is needed - a place for visitors to get information with good visitor parking, near a main entrance and highly visible.

·         Need a signature entrance.

·         Add a large, hourly chiming clock.

·         Add more sidewalk cafés around campus.

·         Need facilities on campus to serve students on Saturdays and Sundays when the Student Union is closed.

·         Grow up and not out.

·         Need a parking garage in the T&M lot.

·         Need a parking garage by CBC.

·         Need more parking.

·         Make parking lots less of an eyesore.  Add islands of plants native to the area.

·         Buildings are ugly and are falling down.

·         Update the Student Union.  Make the Student Union contemporary (i.e., UCLA Union).

·         Update College of Engineering.

·         Improve existing dorms and build more dorms.

·         Paint buildings.

·         Fix fountains.

·         Refresh image.

·         Need more green grass.

·         Need more trees.

·         Add a water feature (i.e., duck pond).

·         Las Vegas has its own personality, as should UNLV.

·         Implement a campus art program.

·         A bigger College of Business and College of Hotel Administration/Management are needed.  These are the fastest growing majors.  There is not enough space for students.

·         Place signs in front of each building with office information.

·         Need regularly placed maps around buildings and walkways showing locations of buildings and "you are here" information.

·         How can an "urban" university compete with the rest of the country technologically when our legislature does not fully endorse (monetarily) technology on campus?  Students pay fees for their labs to keep them up and running with the latest technologies, but what about the infrastructure of UNLV?  We are so behind in any technological advances that technology departments are not equipped to support the campus in their growing technology needs.

Architecture:

What do you like about the architecture of UNLV (positive and negative)?  Be building specific.  List qualities.

·         Housing should be Greek style, not dorms.

·         Put Greek housing off campus.  Let Metro manage issues.  Activity conflict.

·         Faculty/student memorial or hall of fame.

·         Pride in campus image.

·         Paint/repair/remodel existing buildings.

·         ADA access.

·         Move Student Union closer to Lied Library.

·         Have more than one Student Union.

·         Big classes in lecture halls.

·         More architectural unity.

·         Identify the names of buildings as used for students finding classrooms (i.e., CEB212).

·         More School of Architecture space; we need a lecture hall.

·         Clearly indicate cart and pedestrian walkways. Enforce the cart rules.

·         More parking around Student Union.

·         Eliminate pre-fabs and build real buildings.  The pre-fabs are ugly.

·         Health Sciences, Lied Library and CBC are modern and attractive.

·         Maude Frazier Hall functions more one-stop.  

·         Parking structure near library.

·         Better recreation area.  More things to do in the union.

·         More dorms.  More student housing - keep kids on campus.

·         Maude Frazier Hall needs to be constructed in a circular way and be accessible to the major street.

·         Film Department new building.

·         Encourage campus community.

·         Green park - shade, seating, open space.

·         Maryland retail; "campus downtown."

·         Maude Frazier Hall should be in Student Services.

·         Don't hide access to buildings.

·         Signage inadequate on some buildings.  Should be on all four sides.

·         Unassuming façade of gallery; improve.

·         Need more lawns and trees.

·         Enhance historic culture.

·         Think about handicapped access before designing and constructing the buildings.  Make accessible to all.

·         ROTC office space on campus.

·         Need union-student services south area.

·         Places to sit and study indoors and out (Biology Sciences).

·         Chemistry building is not people friendly.

·         Art museum on campus would be great.

·         WHI green carpet and yellow walls are ugly.  HVAC is bad too.

·         Tennis comments letter are falling off.

·         A functioning and aesthetic clock tower.

·         The Biology and Chemistry buildings need some improvements.  I'm tired of the green carpet with duct tape, orange and yellow walls, and the heater that never works in the auditorium.  Put up some sheet rock and paint the Chemistry building.

·         Campus Services Building (BUBBA) is the newest "ugliest" building on campus.  Trailers are not safe or appropriate spaces for staff to work.  What does it say to the students or community about how staff is treated at this "urban" university?  The buildings are old with mediocre network connections to the rest of campus.

Additional Issues:

More comments about the campus?  Good or bad, we'd like to know.

·         Start a medical school.

·         Increase Student Union amenities.

·         Make registration process more open/accessible.

·         Move registrar to Student Services.

·         Parking and event time is difficult.

·         Need football stadium on campus.  It would be closer for students and build more school spirit.

·         Save space by designing taller buildings.

·         Organization of colleges needs to be closer together.

·         Need more food opportunities (variety and pricing).

·         Need more parking.

·         Clean up the water soaked grass.