News

UC 2010 Initiative receives name change

The New University Center, formerly known as the UC 2010 Initiative, is focused on creating a brand new UC.

A reception was held Monday to announce the name change.

The name was changed because it was confusing for some students, considering that construction for the project is not expected to be completed until 2014, according to the New UC Web site (www.uh.edu/uc2010). The original name, UC 2010, was given because that is when student fees are expected to increase in order to pay for the renovations.

‘2010 was the original name chosen because that is when we were hoping to gain the student approval necessary for such an ambitious project,’ CLASS Sen. Taylor Kilroy said.

Students approved the tuition increase in a survey conducted in the spring by a 3,204 ‘yes’ vote of 4,161 participants. The UH System Board of Regents has not approved the tuition increase or the construction of the building.

‘They are the final puzzle piece,’ Kilroy said.

The UC 2010 Initiative survey was set up so students could give their feedback on its construction.

‘This project has really been about student feedback,’ community liaison and New UC Co-Chair Sam Dike said. ‘Anything and everything about this project has been focused for the students.’

The New UC co-chair Nicole Sopko said the reception was held in order to inform other campus leaders of the changes made to the project. Sopko said it was ‘basically to bring everyone up to speed.’

During the reception construction of the new center was discussed, including the plan to block off different sections of the current UC so it will still be accessible to students.

‘This is a phase in implementation,’ Dike said. ‘Build something with a lot of space in the smallest amount of time. We worked with Holzman Moss Architecture on a master plan report assessing the needs of the facility and the campus.’

The committee has made visits to other university centers across the country, met with stakeholders, created multiple student surveys and created focus groups in order to fine tune the initiative.

‘If you walked around this university center and you didn’t know (which university) you were at . . . you wouldn’t be able to tell from looking around the center that you were at the University of Houston,’ Dike said.

Kilroy said that it is important to change the look of the building, so everyone who walks in the UC knows it is a UH building.

‘If you walk into the Satellite, you know exactly what school you’re at; it is all decked in red and has the school logo everywhere. When you go to the UC, it’s just this big building from the ’70s,’ Kilroy said. ‘The UC is UH’s living room, and you can’t even tell its UH. That is kind of sad.’

[email protected]

Leave a Comment