Meeting - January 25, 2023

Agenda

UNIVERSITY SPACE COMMITTEE (USC) MEETING
January 25, 2023
Holladay Hall Chancellor’s Conference Room 18
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Approval of the Minutes – Arden (5 minutes)

Consent Agenda (No Item(s) – Arden (0 minutes)

Action Items
1. NC State Continuing and Lifelong Education, Gateway Technology Center, 3400 N. Wesleyan Blvd., Rocky Mount, NC 27804 – L. Van Roekel (10 minutes)

  • Space Lease Request #22-28

2. COE Nuclear Engineering, Burlington Rom 1141 – L. Moore (10 minutes)

  • Space Request #22-25

Information/Discussion Items

1. DH Hill, Jr. Library Comprehensive Study Update – S. Jones-Humienny/G. Raschke/P. Deaton (25 minutes)

  • Info Item 22.05

2. DELTA Testing Center Update – S. Jones-Humienny/L. Van Roekel (10 minutes)

  • Related to Space Request #15-06

3. Studies in Progress – S. Jones-Humienny/Staff Support (15 minutes)

a. OIT Workspace Pilot Study – Avent Ferry Technology Center (#202213019)
b. Plant and Environmental Technology Operations (PTO) Programming Update & Site Study (#202113051)
c. Poole College of Management New Facility (#202213035)
d. Schenck Forest Multi-Purpose Building (#202213042)
e. Athletics Development Plan – On Hold (#201913031)
f. Witherspoon Student Center (#202213038)
g. DH Hill, Jr. Library Comprehensive Study (#202213020)

Next Meeting: Monday, February 27, 2023, 1:00 – 2:30 PM

Adjourn

 

Minutes

UNIVERSITY SPACE COMMITTEE MEETING (USC)
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Holladay Hall, Conference Room 18
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Attendance and Distribution
Members present: Warwick Arden; Charles Maimone; Mladen Vouk

Staff Support present: Cameron Smith; Christopher Ross; Don Hunt; Doug Morton; Jonathan Horowitz; Lisa
Johnson; Lisa Van Roekel; Liz Moore; Margery Overton; Sumayya Jones-Humienny
Staff Support absent: Adrian Day; Alicia Knight

Guests: Adam Brueggemann; Barbara Moses; Katherine Stewart; Greg Raschke; Patrick Deaton; Karen Creech
Guests absent: Catherine Phillips

Approval of the Minutes
The minutes of the December 12, 2022 meeting were approved and have been posted.

Approval of the Consent Agenda
N/A

Action Items
1. NC State Continuing and Lifelong Education, Gateway Technology Center, 3400 N. Wesleyan Blvd., Rocky Mount, NC 27804, Strategic Lease Space Request #22-28: L. Van Roekel presented the request for a one-year term with options to renew. They are looking for better terms with the landlord, NC Wesleyan University, and a longer-term partnership with East Carolina University, as they work with the Upper Coastal PlainLearning Center (UCPLC) in Rocky Mount and in a five-county area. They have good utilization rates and one permanent staff member. This program has been in place since 2004. The committee approved the strategic space lease request.

2. College of Engineering (COE) Nuclear Engineering, Burlington Room 1141, Space Request #22-25: L. Moore reported that the College of Sciences Physics department uses this lab for ongoing research with the Triangle University Nuclear Lab (TUNL), a Department of Energy (DOE) Center of Excellence, related to the
Burlington nuclear reactor. Physics does not need this particular space with the fume hood and is willing to exchange spaces with College of Engineering’s Nuclear Engineering department for a dry lab elsewhere in the building. The committee approved a space exchange on the conditions that COE work with Staff Support and COS to identify a location within the Burlington Lab building (without a fume hood) to where Physics can relocate, and for COE to pay the associated renovations and relocation expenses for both parties.

Information / Discussion Items
1. DH Hill, Jr. Library Comprehensive Study Update (Info Item 22.05): S. Jones-Humienny introduced guests Greg Raschke, Director of Libraries, Patrick Deaton, Libraries Associate Director of Learning Spaces and Capital Management, and Karen Creech, Facilities Planner, who are also co-leading the study. She presented the study’s progress to date, summarized the challenges with the aging facilities, poor-condition building systems, and difficulty with wayfinding and accessibility in the four-building complex. She then reviewed the Libraries’ and the 2020 Physical Master Plan’s (PMP’s) common goals to improve the facilities by:
a) directly engaging with the Brickyard to enhance it as a campus hearth;
b) expanding dining at Erdahl-Cloyd;
c) renovating to accommodate enrollment growth by providing more student space and study seats;
d) strengthening the entry experience into the Library with better accessibility;
e) upgrading the outdated building systems; and
f) improving the unsafe service access and loading dock configuration for dining and library services.

G. Raschke added that the Libraries’ programmatic goals include:
a) expanding the Makerspace;
b) increasing engagement for the Academic Success Center;
c) locating the new Data Science Academy on the 2nd floor of the East Wing;
d) accommodating expanded dining services in Erdahl-Cloyd
e) adding seats to address the COE’s immediate enrollment growth

Discussions ensued regarding the underutilized Faculty Senate and Faculty Research Commons versus the need for more classroom space, as the Libraries are the second largest provider of non-credit courses. The strategic direction question is whether the critical space requests seeking to locate expanded dining and DELTA Testing services should go in the Erdahl-Cloyd wing or elsewhere. G. Raschke stated that testing spaces go dark when not in use, which is counter to the Libraries’ 24/7 schedule. Testing spaces are also not as adaptable for lounge/study space when not in use because of required security protocols. Therefore, the Libraries think testing services are not a good program fit for DH Hill, whereas expanded food services are, since it provides convenient nourishment and its tables/chairs may also be used for lounge/study functions during non-peak dining times.

Because the Brickyard will change with the new Integrative Sciences Building and the proposed Bostian and Gardner Halls’ replacement building, the committee questioned whether Erdahl-Cloyd is the best location for a major dining expansion. Per the PMP, the better long-term solution is on the ground floor of the proposed academic/multipurpose building at the Bostian/Gardner Halls’ site for activating the Brickyard and providing better service access. Due to the significant investment required for building system improvements in Erdahl-Cloyd, the committee recommended only expanding dining services there in order to bridge dining needs, while the better long-term solution is pursued.

2. DELTA Testing Center Update (Related to Space Request #15-06 FY22 Update): S. Jones-Humienny presented progress to date for non-lease options. Several options have been dismissed for a number of reasons, including lack of adequate space, and electrical and HVAC capacity. The most promising option is the Hillsborough Building because:

a) The location is central to North Campus, very close to Wolfline bus stops, and directly across Hillsborough Street from D.H. Hill, Jr. Library, where students can study until their test appointments. The library offers the best environment for studying, with easy access to food and beverages. These factors are all important to promoting student success.

b) The current occupants of the Hillsborough Building work for the Office of Information Technology (OIT) and have proven to work effectively in a hybrid arrangement during Covid. A pilot study is underway at Avent Ferry Technology Center to test various configurations for working differently. They are willing and able to consolidate relatively easily to a smaller footprint within the Hillsborough Building to accommodate the DELTA Testing Center.

c) Electrical and HVAC capacities, designed for the vacated Data Center’s needs, are more than adequate to handle the demands of DELTA Testing Center’s electrical and cooling loads for the number of computers and people at peak testing times.

d) The building is already on the University’s data network, a requirement for DELTA Testing Center’s security protocol, which off-campus lease space does not provide.

Facilities toured DELTA’s leadership through the Ground and 1st Floors and they think this facility will work. The building, however, will need renovation to reconfigure the space to meet programmatic needs, to make the main entrance handicapped accessible and address building system needs.

The committee noted the existing building configuration is not very efficient and the value of this property, due to its prime location, is much greater than that of the building. They suggested studying how redevelopment of the site with a new building could help to activate the north side of Hillsborough St. as a destination point along the north-south circulation spine proposed by the PMP to better connect the campus precincts. They requested further investigation of other purpose-driven destination buildings on the Wolfline routes and extension of the existing Venture IV lease, slated to expire May 31, 2025, to buy more time.

3. Studies in Progress: Staff Support provided updates on the following studies underway:

a) OIT Workplace Pilot Study – Avent Ferry Technology Center (#202213019): is testing how OIT units can work differently in a hybrid arrangement and consolidate into less space.

b) Plant and environmental Technology Operations (PTO) Programming Update & Site Study (#202113051): is looking to move PTO from its current location on NCDA property at Reedy Creek to new facilities at Lake Wheeler Road Field Labs.

c) Poole College of Management New Facility (#202213035): is developing the program and test fitting different sites at Centennial Campus to align with the PMP and accommodate anticipated future growth.

d) Schenck Forest Multi-Purpose Building (#202213042): is studying how to accommodate a variety of user groups for teaching, research, and extension in a multi-purpose building within a forest environment.

e) Athletics Development Plan – On Hold (#201913031): completed about 60% of the effort when Covid struck and it was placed on hold. It was supposed to help inform the PMP, but the PMP is now taking the lead. The major focus was on improvements to football’s, basketball’s, and baseball’s facilities. Because of baseball’s recent success, a deeper dive on baseball’s facilities resulted in fundraising that triggered design and construction projects for a new performance facility and other field improvements.

f) Witherspoon Student Center (#202213038): the goal is to provide a more equitable student center for minority populations and student organizations and to enhance the African American Cultural Center with student leadership advocacy for student fee approval and fundraising efforts.

The committee requested updates on the Integrative Sciences Building project and the Innovation District
development at a future meeting.

Other Business
1. N/A

Next Meeting:
Monday, February 27, 2023, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM. This meeting was canceled due to a light agenda.

Meeting Adjourned at 10:00 AM.