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Chancellor’s Forum addresses concerns and changes

Marty Meehan meets students to talk about the future of University of Massachusetts Lowell

The opening of University Crossing will not be the only major change happening on campus in the next year. Dining hall hours will change, buildings will be renovated and knocked down and more.

Students and staff were informed of these changes at the chancellor’s open forum, a platform for students to express their concerns to Chancellor Meehan and to hear the latest news about UMass Lowell. Updates were given on University Crossing’s construction progress and the future of buildings such as the South Campus dining hall and McGuavran Hall. Some of the students’ concerns touched upon issues such as the quality of dining hall food, transportation and the future location of the art department.

Students were updated on the progress of construction on University Crossing, the new student union center set to open this year. “We have for at least 25 years been trying to get a student center,” said Meehan. “We were far behind the times. There are 250 clubs that don’t have a space to meet.”

The issue of space will be resolved with the opening of University Crossing, however, as the “Club Hub” will take up two floors of the building. Students will have access to study spaces, meeting rooms with same-day reservations, gaming areas and more. University Crossing will be open from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m, said Meehan.

University Crossing’s grand opening will only be one of the major renovations happening at the university.

South Campus will undergo a facelift over the next few years, said Meehan. The dining hall will be knocked down to allow for more green space on-campus, said Joanne Yestramski, vice chancellor for Finance and Operations. McGuavran Student Center will be renovated into, “both a residential dining experience and a retail experience,” she said. The construction will start this summer, said Yestramski.

The art department on South Campus will also experience a change. Currently, the art department is divided into different buildings on South, but Meehan hopes to unify the department. “We have the computer labs going into Mahoney … the more specialty rooms are joining the rest of the art department in Dugan Hall,” said Charlotte Mandell, vice provost for Undergraduate Education.

In addition to the update on campus progress, students voiced their concerns about the on-campus dining experience.
Students expressed concern about the quality of food served at the dining hall. “What is being done about our food issue?” tweeted HawkTalk@umlnews at the Student Government for the forum. “Amherts’ is miles better.”

Meehan wants students to be open about their experiences with the dining halls. “I think that’s a dialogue we all have to have. We need more feedback,” he said.
Students also addressed the dining halls’ operating hours. Siegel said that the dining halls will be open one hour later, until 9 p.m., next school year. In addition, the South Campus dining hall will be open on more weekends next year, he said.

Meehan was happy to hear the students’ concerns, and urged students to email UMass Lowell faculty and staff if they have any more concerns.