Kelburn students will share their campus with construction until 2014, a university official has confirmed.
Victoria’s Director of Campus Services Jenny Bentley acknowledges that while the original plan was to have the old Quad demolished during term breaks and outside of class hours, several complaints have been received from students.
“There have been a couple of occasions where noise has been disruptive. The current demolition work has affected at least one class in Maclaurin” Bentley says.
Nick Malcolm, a student in the class in question, sent an email to Facilities Management, Campus Development, VUWSA, the lecturer of the class and Salient questioning why construction was being allowed to disrupt classes and asking what was going to be done.
The university has since confirmed all demolition will take place before 9am and after 5pm, however students like Malcolm are unimpressed.
“This kind of issue should have been considered and planned for,” he says. He questions the fairness of the disruption.
“We are paying for this lecture, and at the moment we are getting no value whatsoever.”
Many current students will have graduated before the projects’ completion, making it unlikely that they will get to use the facilities.
Bently responds that although projects like the central Campus Hub building and library refurbishment will not be completed until 2013 and 2014 respectively, other upgrades to the campus are already fully operational.
“Students are already seeing the benefits of the new facilities such as the Boyd-Wilson Field, the Alan Macdiarmid Building and the refurbished Student Union Building”.
VUWSA President Seamus Brady says the students’ association’s contribution has ensured the needs of students have been made clear in all aspects of the project from design and construction to minimising disruption.
“Construction is staggered which means you don’t have to still be here in 2015 to enjoy the upgrade,”
he explains.
“It allows all students to benefit from some aspect of the Campus Hub project whether it is the refurbished Student Union Building, the new clubs and social spaces, the Hunter Lounge, the new Student Health facilities, or the new food outlets near Kirk.”
The upgrade will cost $67 million in total. $12 million of this is a contribution from the VUWSA Trust, with the rest of the funding appropriated from the University’s Capital Works expenditure. Victoria University closed its enrolments in mid-2010, citing a lack of funding.