According to the Eastern Echo, it would appear that the governor signed the deal: “EMU awarded $31.5 million for Pray-Harrold renovations.” This is basically all good and old news, though I’m not sure I agree that we’re completely “done” raising money here. Heck, with the way the markets have been lately, the state might pull some “take-back” scheme or something.
Anyway, I was more interested in something else that comes up in the Echo article:
Here’s a longish quote from the Echo:
When it was built in 1969, Pray-Harrold was one of the largest classroom buildings in the U.S. It has not received major renovations since. Thirty-nine years later, the building suffers from heating and cooling issues, cracks in its floors, and antiquated desks.
On the upper floors, many faculty members share offices and are forced to use party lines, causing miscommunications between professors and students, and, overall, the building is technologically deficient.
According to EMU’s government relations Web site, the renovation project will consist of reconfiguring “the second and third floors of the building to provide modern computing and advising facilities and space for studying and student interaction.”
The higher floors “will be reconfigured to focus on strategically designed classroom space, faculty student areas for consultations, study groups, and faculty offices and facilities.”
Along with improvements to the building itself, an indoor walkway will be built to connect Pray-Harrold with Porter.
I don’t know about this walkway or the idea of more advising spaces or whatever; I’ve heard conflicting reports, but I’m convinced it’s going to take a couple years to figure out the details of what will or won’t be done. But I will say this: faculty do have party line phones in my department, though to be honest, this is far from the biggest problem.
Everything I’ve heard suggests that little to nothing is going to be done beyond the fourth floor. Besides the fact that there are classrooms, computer labs, and other student spaces on five, six, and seven, these floors are where the vast majority of the staff and faculty who work in the building are located. So, while I’m happy that the a lot of the classroom spaces and the overall infrastructure of the building will be improved, I have to say that it is a bit depressing that about all I’m liable to see in my windowless, cinder-block office is a coat of paint. If that. No reconfiguration of space, no new flooring or wall coverings/treatments, no new wiring, no new lighting, etc. In other words, no significant renovation for the majority of people who work in the building. Probably not even new furniture; I’m pretty sure my current desk and shelves are from 1969.
Now, maybe some of this has changed, or maybe some of this too is still up in the air. Maybe they will be able to do at least some revisions beyond the fourth floor. Heck, maybe they powers that be will bust out and get everyone their own phone line, or maybe they’ll even move the plug in the middle of the floor of my office. But I ain’t holding my breath.
