Despite all of the amenities the University offers, it has long lacked an ideal study space. Surely the many libraries and open buildings provide plenty of room and opportunity to work, but many students would especially benefit from a 24-hour study area. Students frequently complain about early closing hours of the libraries, and the addition of a study space that could remain open all night — not to mention be open much earlier — is a much-needed feature that should be incorporated in the new facility. The renovation of Coffman Union, in fact, provides a unique opportunity to construct a study area open around the clock. Few locations would be more appropriate, and few amenities are needed more.
The necessity of an open study area is immediately obvious. The University’s central priority should be to provide the utmost attention to the academic needs of its student body. In fact, no institution of higher learning should settle for anything less than this ideal. The potential benefit of a 24-hour study area is much greater than some of the expensive and time-consuming construction the University is currently undergoing.
The renovation of Coffman Union gives the University an ideal opportunity to provide students with a much-needed 24-hour study space. Currently, the decision of whether to have such a study area is being put off until after construction, although there will be a computer lab open around the clock. Administering the computer lab makes the addition of a study area even easier than expanding an existing facility, such as a library, although library space should certainly be considered, as well. A more appropriate place for a 24-hour study center than the student union would be hard to find, besides one of the existing libraries. Because of its central location, it would easily be the most convenient space.
Because Coffman represents University students, it’s renovation should be inspired by their wills and wishes. Providing a 24-hour study area in the building would stress the University’s commitment to accommodating its students, and any accommodation helps the student body feel that their money is going toward a worthwhile investment. Certainly, the University is moving in the right direction by expanding the hours of Coffman, but the need and opportunity for an improved study area is equally important.
A better place than Coffman could hardly be found. An outstanding study space, which is important and beneficial in any university, could hardly find a more suiting home than in the central student union, which represents not only the students, but the essence of the academic institution. While renovating the building and making many welcome improvements, the University should take this opportunity to provide students with the 24-hour study area they currently lack. Certainly, this addition would fit the objectives of the University’s mission statement and provide a welcome service to the student body.