New Student Center

Proposal in Brief

A DISCUSSION DRAFT

FEBRUARY 2010

Associated Student Government 1999 Campus Drive Evanston, Illinois 60201 T 847.491.2360
http://asg.northwestern.edu/nsc
NEW STUDENT CENTER PROPOSAL IN BRIEF FEBRUARY 2010

Table of Contents

Preface ii

Our Need iv

Our Vision vii

Looking Forward and Incorporating Existing Plans xii

Our Recommendations xv

Next Steps and Conclusion xix

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Preface

To the Northwestern community,

We are here to advance the movement for the creation of a New Student Center.

Since 1995, we have identified unmet students’ needs regarding increased venue and
meeting spaces, centralized student services, and general entertainment options. The on-
going conversation to improve or replace the Norris University Center has persisted within
numerous University offices and needs assessments.

Moreover, Northwestern has long been concerned with the growing fragmentation of its
diverse student body. Northwestern has been known to lack a particularly unifying culture.
As noted in a 2005 Daily Northwestern article, Northwestern’s community “reaches up, but
it only occasionally extends across.”

A New Student Center is the answer to this clear call of students and their unmet needs.
As stated in the 2004 University Space Planning Report, university campuses are living
and learning communities, and space should be created that allows this community to
flourish. Our campus should be home to a space that encourages congregation and in-
teraction among students and faculty, cultivating intellectual, artistic and cultural exchange.

The 2008 Campus Framework Plan calls for the creation of such a social collaborative
space in the center of campus. This location would serve to bridge the divide between
North and South campus, and create a new campus gateway to strengthen Northwest-
ern’s identity along Sheridan Road. The geographic centrality creates the capacity for this
space to be developed as Northwestern’s “great civic square,” and the heart of the North-
western campus.

Ultimately, a New Student Center would serve as a catalyst to unify the Northwestern ex-
perience for all students. The space would be much more than a fixture of on-campus
convenience. As a social center, students would fill the building from dawn till dusk, engag-
ing in informal interactions and conversations. As a cultural and recreational center, stu-

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dents would perform in state-of-the-art blackbox theaters in front of their friends, enabling
full artistic expression. As a learning center, students would explore intellectual opportuni-
ties and have access to vital resources, giving direction to their college career and beyond.
A New Student Center would be the foundation of an inclusive and collaborative North-
western community.

This Proposal in Brief is the first step toward realizing that vision for the Northwestern
community. It is a discussion draft, intended to spark an important dialogue about the fu-
ture that we can create together. Over the next few weeks, we will be releasing the full ver-
sion of our proposal. In the meantime, we invite you to explore our PowerPoint presenta-
tion and website at http://asg.northwestern.edu/nsc. We encourage you to provide your
thoughts and feedback, and pose any questions that you may have.

The drive behind this effort comes from those most directly affected - the students. We
hope that you share our passion and determination for enacting this initiative, and join us in
working to build a better Northwestern.

Sincerely,

The New Student Center (NSC) Initiative

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Our Need

History

The Norris University Center does not fulfill the students’ needs as a student center. Con-
versations to replace or improve Norris have been ongoing since 1995. As of 2005, daily
traffic to the facility had been on a steady decline for 10 years. The Norris University Center
Comprehensive Needs Assessment by the facility planning firm Brailsford & Dunlavey
(B&D) in December 2005 concluded the decline in traffic was due to the building’s location
away from high traffic areas and its lack of social space. In their assessment, B&D con-
cluded, “Through the extensive market research, it is apparent that the current Norris Uni-
versity Center facility is not meeting the needs of the campus community.” This sentiment
is echoed and supported in numerous discussions with students and administrators alike.
However, this need for a New Student Center was not addressed in the $1.5 Billion cam-
paign which concluded in 2003.

In short, Northwestern University has the opportunity to unify its community and the
Northwestern experience by filling the New Student Center need. For 15 years, this need
has not been prioritized - but we hope this year will be different.

What our students want

Students strongly support the need for a New Student Center. According to the Norris
Needs Assessment, at least 54% of undergraduates place the renovation, expansion or
replacement of Norris as a very high or high priority. The majority of visitors at Norris stay
for less than an hour, and the building is often sited as an “inconvenience” that impacts
daily usage. Students further identified that they do not go to Norris because it does not
facilitate social interaction, it fails to attract a high number of peers, and the location is not
centrally located.1

Essentially, our students desire a destination that supports both their need for a learning
and living community. That is, they want their unmet needs to be addressed, in terms of

1 Source: University Center Needs Assessment Conducted by Brailsford & Dunlavey in 2005

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increased venue and meeting space, centralized student services, and general food and
entertainment options. They yearn for a common space that attracts a high number of
students and encourages the academic, social, and cultural exchange that is a central
component to the college experience. They seek the opportunity to connect with their
friends, fellow classmates, and professors, and gain greater meaning and value from their
time here at Northwestern. At the end of day, students want to be happy here, and take
part in a shared, collaborative Northwestern experience - and they want a New Student
Center that encourages and supports this experience.

What our peer institutions are doing

Across the country, our peer institutions have the same student needs, and solved them
by building new student centers. The examples provided below are the new student
centers of Washington University at St. Louis, Stanford University, Princeton University and
Dartmouth College.

Washington University in St. Louis

Danforth University Center

Completed in 2007

116,000 Sq. Feet

Provides 522 underground parking spaces

Centralized Student Services (ex. Career Services, Greek

Life Center, etc.)

Graduate Center on third floor

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Stanford University
(Renovated) Old Union

$20 million renovation completed in 2007

Added 31,000 sq. feet of student space

Has a blackbox theatre

Late-night dining option open until at least 1am seven days a

week

Centralized Student Services (ex. Student gov’t, Religious,

Community Service, etc.)

Princeton University
Frist Campus Center

Opened in September 2000

185,000 Sq. Feet

Features a shipping and packing agency

Film and Performance Theater (w/ Dressing Room and storage)

Tech Help Center located in campus center

Dartmouth College
Collis Center

Renovated and expanded in 1994

Late-night dining option open until at least 1am seven days a

week; Open until 3am seven days a week

Features a campus pub

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Our Vision

Summary of features

Our vision for a new student center involves meeting the expressed student needs, and
incorporates an understanding of how our peer institutions have addressed such needs.
Specifically, a new student center would include features that provide increased venue and
meeting space, centralized student services, and general food and entertainment options.
These features culminate in an ultimate destination that serves as a learning, cultural, rec-
reational, and social center. These features are summarized in the following categories be-
low. It is important to note that these are only recommendations, and are open to sugges-
tions and feedback.

Student Venue, Meeting, and Student Group Spaces

• Blackbox Theatres
• Student Organization Offices
• Meeting Rooms
• Larger Ballroom(s)
• Daily Northwestern and North By Northwestern publishing rooms
• WNUR

Student Services
• Post Office/Retail Copy Center
• Bank
• Career Services
• Visitors Center
• Student Affairs Administration
• Wildcard Office
• Center for Student Involvement (CSI) Offices
• Alumni Services
• Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA) Offices
• Study Abroad
• Office of Fellowships & Undergraduate research

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• Academic Advising
• Bookstore
• Graduate Center

Food
• Food Court with large seating areas.
• Grocery Store (larger than C-store)
• Sports Bar/Campus Pub
• Café/Coffeehouse with dedicated performance space

General Entertainment
• Movie Theater
• Bowling Alley
• Game Room/Entertainment Center
• Lounges/Study Space
•

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Our Options

Northwestern University has four clear options to address the New Student Center need.
Below is a cost-benefit analysis of each option.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Options to Address the Student Center Need

Source: University Center Needs Assessment Conducted by Brailsford & Dunlavey in 2005

$120

$100
Cost (millions)

$80

$60
Total Cost
Total Cost
$40 Benefit
Benefit
Associated with meeting
student needs
$20

$0
Option
Norris 1
Center Option
Jacobs 2
Center Option
Norris 3
Center Option
New 4
Student
Renovation (no Renovation Renovation Center
Norris
added University
space) Jacobs Center
(estimate) Norris University
(added space) New Student
Center (no added Renovation Center (added Center (Garrett
space) space) parking lot)

Option 1: Renovate Norris without adding space. This option would include updating
building systems, enhancing the aesthetics of the inside, and outside and reconfiguring
major building space. Additionally, this option would be the least costly option. B&D esti-
mated this option would cost approximately $45 Million dollars in 2005. However, given the
needs of the students, simply renovating the existing facility without adding space would
not be a large benefit to students. Many services within Norris would have to be relocated
during any renovation and the facility’s location would still limit the building’s benefits to
students. In fact, we do not believe the benefits outweigh the cost to renovate. Therefore,
we strongly oppose this option.

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Option 2: Renovate the Jacobs Center. With the Kellogg School of Management
moving out of the Jacobs Center within the next 5 years, this space will become available.
Given this building’s central location on Sheridan Road and its size, we believe the Jacobs
Center is a potential solution to the New Student Center need. This facility would increase
access to off-campus students, make use of existing University transportation and give
this facility high traffic. However, this building is not designed to be a student center. There-
fore, retrofitting the space to fulfill the New Student Center need would be costly and an
inefficient use of funds. Additionally, simply bringing the building up to code could cost mil-
lions of dollars and drain valuable university resources. The cost of this renovation was es-
timated to be $65 million in 2005, primarily because it does not involve the construction of
added space. The benefits of this renovation do outweigh the costs - however, the benefits
are not fully maximized as they are in Option 4 (see below).

Option 3: Renovate Norris with adding space. We recognize that the Norris University
Center does have the potential to realize a sizable portion of the New Student Center
need. In addition to the improvements that the first option would have, this option would
use additional space to meet various student needs such as venue, meeting, and lounge
space. The additional space would allow important student services to move into Norris to
increase their visibility and access. However, despite these benefits, Norris University Cen-
ter is still limited by its location. Moreover, many services within Norris would have to be
relocated during any renovation. B&D estimated this option to cost approximately $75 mil-
lion in 2005. Given this option’s ability to meet a large portion of the New Student Center
need, we believe this has a benefit greater than Option 1, but not as great as Option 2 be-
cause of difference in location.

Option 4: Build a New Student Center. Our primary recommendation is to build a New
Student Center in the Garrett parking lot. The Garrett parking lot is in the geographic cen-
ter of campus along Sheridan Road. This destination would create an attraction in the cen-
ter of campus which would create a bridge between the North and South Campus. Addi-
tionally, the ability to start from scratch would allow this building to be fully customized to
the needs of students. Most importantly, this option is consistent with the Campus
Framework Plan because it enhances the “central district.” Also, the parking lot that the
building would inhabit is planning to be replaced by an underground lot. While B&D esti-

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NEW STUDENT CENTER PROPOSAL IN BRIEF FEBRUARY 2010

mated this option to cost almost $95 million, it is the option that students would most
benefit from more than any other option. It is the best option because it gives Northwest-
ern the opportunity to build the perfect New Student Center from the ground up. The loca-
tion is also ideal for the New Student Center to truly serve as the nexus of campus life at
Northwestern.

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Looking Forward and Incorporating Existing Plans

In building the vision for a New Student Center, we wanted to incorporate the principles of
existing plans that looked to improve the University over time. One such plan is the 2004
University Space Planning Report initiated by President Bienen. The University Space
Planning Report contained principles about community, location, and space prioritization
that we considered in creating a vision for the New Student Center. This is detailed in Chart
A on the following page.

Another plan that we considered was the Campus Framework Plan. The Campus Frame-
work Plan looked at location, district planning, and parking in regards to the Evanston
campus. Specifically, it discussed the under-utilization of the “central district” and its po-
tential to be a nexus of campus life. These principles are incorporated in our vision for the
New Student Center, and detailed in Chart B.

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Chart A: Advisory Committee on University Space Planning Report (2004)
NU Plan
Community
Our campuses are living and learning
communities with various centers of activ-
ity.
Campus planning should enhance these
centers while creating spaces that encour-
age interaction among students and fac-
ulty in their many intellectual endeavors.
Create welcoming spaces for people to
congregate and interact.
Location
Create pedestrian corridors that make the
lakefront easily accessible.
Northwestern’s Evanston campus should
become pedestrian-oriented by reducing
the density of parking in the central cam-
pus.
Space Allocation Prioritization
When conflicts arise, as they inevitably will,
there must be a process for resolving
competing interests and addressing op-
portunities or constraints that may arise.
Part of this involves crafting principles that
enjoy wide acceptance from the commu-
nity.
http://asg.northwestern.edu/nsc
ASG Plan
A NSC would become the center of cam-
pus activity.
A NSC will increase interaction amongst
students and faculty because it will
become a true center for the commu-
nity.
A NSC will be welcoming to all students.
A NSC can be built along a corridor to in-
crease traffic to the lakefront.
The proposed NSC location is in the Gar-
rett parking lot. Parking would move un-
derground or off-campus as proposed by
this plan.
Our plan is congruent with many principles
as developed by various plans. Therefore,
we believe this space to have priority over
many other interests for our proposed lo-
cations.
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Chart B: Campus Framework Plan (2008 - 2009)
NU Plan
Location
Calls for bridging the “divide” between
north and south campus precincts by pro-
viding social and collaborative spaces at
the center of campus.
Create new campus gateways and
strengthen Northwestern’s identity along
Sheridan Road.
Relocating Lunt Hall to a site further south
along the historic crescent would permit
development opportunities for the area
north of the Jacobs Center.
District Development
Given its relationship to Sheridan Road,
the pond and Lake Michigan, the central
district has the potential to be, with pru-
dent planning, a more powerful nexus of
campus life than it is today.
The significance of the central district,
therefore, is its geographic centrality, its
established iconic features and its capacity
to be developed as Northwestern’s great
“civic square.”
Parking
The framework plan proposes a new un-
derground parking garage located north of
the Jacobs Center.
http://asg.northwestern.edu/nsc
ASG Plan
A NSC on Sheridan Road would provide
social and collaborative space which
would create an attraction point in the
middle of campus.
A NSC on Sheridan Road would create a
strong student-centric impression with
visitors and prospective students.
This space adjustment could be a future
site of a NSC which is more deserving
of the central location.
A NSC would be the large attraction point
needed to create a strong nexus in the
middle of campus.
A NSC should be integrated into the cen-
tral district to provide a social and collabo-
rative space for students in this area.
This allows development of the central dis-
trict and the potential for that space to
contain a NSC.
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Our Recommendations

We have two recommendations. Our preferred option is our “All-in-One Solution.” This op-
tion centralizes all of our suggested features in one building on the Garrett parking lot. Our
second choice option is our “Two Building Solution.” This option makes use of both Norris
and either a new building or the Jacobs Center. The features allocated to each building are
divided by “Needs” and “Wants.”

The All-in-One Solution

This solution would be the ultimate destination for students during the day or even at night.
First, it would be a social center for students to interact and study. Second, it would be a
cultural and recreational center for students to showcase their talents and appreciate each
other’s abilities. Third, it would be a college career center that gives students access to all
of the important student services to enhance their Northwestern experience. This building
would be an incredible addition to the center of campus and would greatly unify the
Northwestern experience. We recommend this option to have the following features:

Student Venue, Meeting, and Student Group Spaces

• Blackbox Theatres
• Student Organization Offices
• Meeting Rooms
• Larger Ballroom(s)
• Daily Northwestern and North By Northwestern publishing rooms
• WNUR

Student Services
• Post Office/Retail Copy Center
• Bank
• Career Services
• Visitors Center
• Student Affairs Administration
• Wildcard Office

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• Center for Student Involvement (CSI) Offices

• Alumni Services
• Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA) Offices
• Study Abroad
• Office of Fellowships & Undergraduate research
• Academic Advising
• Bookstore
• Graduate Center

Food
• Food Court with large seating areas.
• Grocery Store (larger than C-store)
• Sports Bar/Campus Pub
• Café/Coffeehouse with dedicated performance space

General Entertainment
• Movie Theater
• Bowling Alley
• Game Room/Entertainment Center
• Lounges/Study Space

The Two Building Solution

Given the funding constraints from the current and future economy, we also are in favor of
a less expensive Two Building solution. This solution would address all of the shortcomings
from Norris, create a nexus for students in the center of campus, and centralize student
services in one building. The only difference is, these solutions are not implemented in one
building.

The two buildings are differentiated by “needs” and “wants.” The first building, the New
Student Center, would be the fun space that all students want to go to. That is, this is the
space where students go to socialize, work on group projects and participate in student
groups. This building would either be a new building in the Garrett parking lot (smaller than

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the All-in-One Solution building) or assume a portion of space in the Jacobs Center. The
second building would be the space where students need to go. This building would make
use of Norris as a Conference and Events Center. It would be a shared space for both stu-
dents and the University.

Norris University Center Student Center

Food Space Allocation

Scaled down food court to accommodate Larger food court in student center to ac-
decreased demand. commodate increased demand.

Retain kitchen resources for ballroom. Grocery Store

Cafe/Coffeehouse with dedicated perform-

ance space

Sports Bar/Campus Pub

Student Group Space Allocation

All Student Group space in Norris is con- Base for all student groups (Office Space,
verted to meeting space or student service Meeting Rooms).
space.

Media Center

Student Resource/Business Center

NU Hall of Fame (art gallery)

General Entertainment Space Alloca-

tion

Larger Ballroom Bowling Alley

McCormick Auditorium Game room/lounge

Blackbox Theater (keep near Pick-Staiger Ballroom (500+ people)

for regional consistency).

Ice Rink (East lawn) Movie theater (run by students)

Open Study Space

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Norris University Center Student Center

Dedicated Group Study Room

Student Services Space Allocation

Book Store Post Office/Retail Copy Center

Bank ATM

Career Services Center for Student Involvement

Student Affairs Administration Cultural and Religious Groups

Undergraduate Housing

Wildcard Office

Alumni Services

Study Abroad

Office of Fellowship and Undergraduate

Research

Academic Advising

Norris Mini Courses

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Next Steps and Conclusion

Currently, the New Student Center (NSC) Initiative is in the proposal phase. Our goal is to
receive an affirmative response from the administration that the New Student Center need
will be addressed in the next capital campaign.

To accomplish this, we have created the New Student Center Initiative website at
asg.northwestern.edu/nsc. This website includes our PowerPoint presentation to the
administration and publicizes our continual research and findings as the NSC Initiative
progresses. But most importantly, the website enables the Northwestern community to
weigh in, giving their feedback and lending their support behind the initiative for a New
Student Center.

This is far from the final word, as the journey has just begun. Moreover, it is part of a
process not possible without the passion, commitment and support from students, alumni,
professors, staff, and administrators.

Every member of the Northwestern community has a stake in the creation of a New
Student Center. It is not a new issue - it has been in the minds of members of the
Northwestern community for at least fifteen years. It is the opportunity to solve student
needs in a holistic way, and think about how to create a better sense of community at
Northwestern. We want the New Student Center to be the center of student life, and we
look forward to bringing the Northwestern community together to work toward making this
vision a reality.

This proposal was created by Associated Student Government (ASG) President Mike McGee, Executive Vice President
Tommy Smithburg, and Vice President of Public Relations Claire Lew, with the help of the Presidential Leadership
Initiative (PLI).

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