College of Southern Nevada students will soon have a centralized place to spend time in between classes.
A student union will be constructed at the college’s three main area campuses and are scheduled to open for the fall 2019 semester. The $80 million project was funded by student-approved fee increases.
Nevada’s Board of Regents approved the fee hikes last year, including an $8 per-credit fee that went into effect in the fall 2017 semester, and a $3 per-credit fee for summer courses beginning in 2018. A $1 per-credit hour fee, starting with the fall 2019 semester, is pegged for maintenance and operational fees after the building are open.
CSN is contributing $7 million from general improvement fees to the project.
The Associated Students of the College of Southern Nevada and CSN Administration started a feasibility review three years ago for the unions, which resulted in overwhelming support to raise student fees, according to Sherri Payne, senior associate vice president of CSN’s department of facilities management.
“We went to students, held forums where we talked to them to see if they would support a deal like this and told them what would go in them (the student unions),” Payne said. “They voted and approved to increase the student fees to build these. This is a result of the students wanting the buildings and agreeing to pay for them.”
The buildings, designed by TSK architects, are most similar in design but feature unique aspects to ensure each one fits in with the surroundings of the different campuses. Each will be about 25,000 square feet and encompass modern-style furniture, with unique LED interior lighting and energy efficient aspects.
Each will also have a food court, meeting rooms, study space, courtyards, student government offices, advising offices, a multicultural center and sitting areas. The study space features movable desks and chairs to allow students to meet in various size groups, and study pods to provide students privacy when desired.
Payne said student feedback assisted in the designing phase to ensure they’re getting the facility they envisioned. They helped pick style of furniture, fabrics, lighting among other aspect of the design process.
“It really gives them the feeling that this is theirs,” Payne said “They’re pretty excited about it and it’s been a lot of fun to work with them.”
At the Henderson campus, the union will be located behind the C building along Heather Drive, between the temporary parking lot and the baseball field. That parking lot will be made larger and become permanent with the plans. In North Las Vegas, it will be just outside the A building, while at Charleston it will be between the C and I buildings.
A groundbreaking ceremony is tentatively planned for May and work will begin in July or August.
“It will finally give the students a space where they can gather in between classes,” Payne said. “Instead of sitting in their cars or driving back home during a break, they’ll now have a centralized space on campus of their own.”