RESOLUTION TO FORMALLY INTRODUCE SGA SENATE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE

Proposed by the SGA Student Activities Center Renovation Advisory Committee, November 11, 2015

WHEREAS, the Student Activity Center Renovation Advisory Committee(SAC – RAC) was formed as a result of the SGA’s SAC Renovation Resolution (April 7, 2015) wherein “the SGA form an ad hoc SAC Renovation advisory committee, comprised of both SGA executive officers and senators that represent a diverse array of constituents, that has the power to negotiate with, advise, and relay SGA expectations to the administration through the summer of 2015, and is obligated to report back to the SGA beginning in the Fall 2015 semester, upon request or in a reasonable timely manner, any official decisions or concrete plans made by the administration;” and subsequently renewed at the SGA Retreat (August 8, 2015) and charged with the additional responsibilities of “Work[ing] with Mr. Sands on negotiation of space [and] Help[ing] to advise the Top 4 on what students want in the new SAC;” and

WHEREAS, the SAC Renovation Resolution (April 7, 2015) also dictates that “the SGA be treated as an equal partner during the negotiations with the extra-University partners so that important information, including the terms of each partnership, is freely offered in a timely and transparent manner, and once the terms are set regarding the obligations and expectations of all parties involved, they are put in writing and honored as one would honor a contract;” and

WHEREAS, the SAC – RAC has provided evidence of student support for: (1) a 24-hour access area that includes a graduate student lounge, 4 small quiet study rooms separate from the graduate student lounge that would be used during the day as meeting rooms, and gender-neutral bathrooms, (2) a student co-op that features student made products, (3) large open-space lounge areas for students, (4) an auditorium that can host local and state-wide debates as well as SGA Senate Meetings, (5) green building and renewable energy initiatives,(6) acoustic amendments to the large meeting rooms, (7) a need for enough meeting room square footage to host national conferences, (8) a preference for retail spaces that are multi-use as in a coffee shop/bookstore/entertainment-venue in one, (9)a large game and social lounge that offers multiple food choices, and (10) an interior design that is less airport more rustic that includes refurbished and recycled materials; and

WHEREAS, the SAC-RAC has met continuously throughout the Fall Semester, garnered student support, participated in research, and attended three meetings with architects and administrators associated with the SAC Renovation; and

WHEREAS, the latest rendering of the SAC Renovation Plan provided to students on October 26th, 2015 does not reflect many of the recommendations provided by the SAC-RAC,

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the SGA and SAC-RAC commend past student representatives and administrators for their valuable work in negotiating the aforementioned SAC Renovation Plan in good faith; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the 1st Floor Extension of the SAC-West be designed in such a way as to provide four small meeting rooms that can be used as both meeting spaces as well as private study rooms during off-hours; a graduate student lounge, three bathrooms (men’s, women’s, and gender-neutral) or two bathrooms that are gender-neutral, and an access door that leads outside without entering the main SAC building; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the 1st Floor Extension of the SAC-West be created as a 24-hour use space separate from the main SAC in that students can enter through a secondary access door with their student ID’s; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Retail Space located in the SAC-West as of 10/26/15 become a student co-op that features student made products and is co-administered by a permanent SGA SAC Committee and University administrators where the Co-op Board is comprised of a student majority; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that 1st Floor SAC-East space historically used as a racquetball court becomes an auditorium that hosts local and state-wide debates, SGA Senate meetings, and other functions deemed appropriate by the SGA; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the 2nd Floor SAC-West lounge space is maintained as an open lounge without a “Marquis Meeting Room;” and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the 2nd Floor SAC-West Restaurant space is maintained as it is drawn in the 10/26/15 renderings that provide for a large lounge and game room with multiple food options; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the 3rd Floor SAC-West is renovated in such a way as to create RSO offices as well as rest lounges and a balcony overlooking the SAC-West courtyard; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the SAC-West Courtyard provide ease of travel for people with special needs as well as an outdoor amphitheater in order to cultivate a stimulating environment for the U of L Community; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the architects and administration adopt a design motif that falls within the SAC-RAC’s vision of a rustic modern look that incorporates refurbished and recycled materials; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that green building initiatives be adopted whenever possible in the renovation and construction of the new SAC, that the idea of a solar-panel array on the roof of the gymnasium be explored, and that the new SAC attain at least the level of LEED- Silver with the objective of attaining LEED-Gold; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that at least one public forum to garner general student body feedback be facilitated by the SGA in January 2016,in order to relay student feedback to the administration prior to the design deadline on 2/14/16, with accompanying information published in the Louisville Cardinal in a timely manner; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the co-chairs of the SAC-RAC be included as ex-officio members of the Executive Council (EC) whenever the SAC Renovation is part of the EC agenda or that at least two executive officers become members of the SAC-RAC; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the administration will provide up-to-date information about RFP’s, contracts, and budget projections with extra-university partners that are investing in the SAC Renovation plan so that the SGA can make informed decisions throughout the negotiation process, and once the terms are set regarding the obligations and expectations of all parties involved, they are put in writing and honored as one would honor a contract;” and

FINALLY, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the SGA encourage good relations with the SAC Renovation partners by leading by example with the good faith, transparency, and integrity inherent in our democratic process.

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