Say goodbye to Haley Center

[RunInRed 18,280]

AU seeks new batch of classroom buildings

Hannah Wolfson -- The Birmingham News

Auburn University hopes to build a slew of new buildings in the next decade to replace aging classrooms.

That could mean spending more than $200 million to build alternatives to the 10-story Haley Center -- which holds more than 140 classrooms plus faculty offices -- and other core academic buildings, said Dan King, Auburn's assistant vice president for facilities.

King presented his wish list for 2010 to 2020 at last week's meeting of the Auburn University board of trustees. The board has already approved some of the items on the list, including a small-animal veterinary hospital, a student wellness and sustainability center, dormitory renovations and athletic facilities.

But academic needs are at the top of the list, King said.

"The number-one facilities priority here at Auburn is to improve older, deteriorating academic buildings in the core of campus," he said.

Although the university has built 2 million square feet of space in the last 25 years, only 5 percent is classrooms, he said. Meanwhile, buildings such as Haley Center and Parker, Allison, Funchess, Upchurch and Spidle halls are nearing the end of their lives. Most were built in the 1950s and 1960s, he said, and their basic systems -- including roofs, heating and air conditioning, windows and fire alarms -- will soon need overhauls.

In addition, the classrooms they hold are too small, don't have the technology required today and aren't flexible to make room for collaborative activities.

"From a facilities standpoint, those buildings shown are pretty much the worst buildings on campus," King said as he presented a slide with the list above.

Building options

He said the board should consider three options:

Repairing the buildings so they can stay in use without becoming maintenance problems.

Performing major renovations to modernize them.

Tearing down and replacing some or all of them.

Because renovations would likely cost as much as two-thirds as much as brand-new buildings, he said, he'd push for the latter option.

"If this was a perfect world and money was no object, replacement would be the desired option," King said. "But we're not in a perfect world and money is an issue, especially in these economic times."

If replacement did move forward, he said, the ideal would be to break up Haley's uses and create a new central classroom building to be shared by multiple departments, plus new buildings for the College of Liberal Arts and College of Education, both of which have classes and offices there, and a new location for the campus bookstore. In addition, there might be new buildings for science and mathematics, the College of Agriculture and the College of Human Science.

The buildings could range in cost from about $15.5 million to $38.5 million, although no specific plans are drawn up, King said. They would likely have to be completed in a staggered fashion so classes and offices could be relocated piecemeal.

In addition, the administration is looking at what to do with the space remaining if the Beard-Eaves Coliseum, which is being replaced by the new $90 million Auburn Arena set to open in November, is torn down. King said the best use would probably be a large parking garage that could hold up to 1,500 cars, twice the size of the garage near the football stadium.

"There's a lot of ideas," he said. "You could do anything with that space; it's a big space. All the options are on the table, but that might be one of the leading contenders."

The area near the coliseum, which will also hold a new $72 million student wellness center and a new $21.6 million kinesiology building that the board approved Friday, is being dubbed a new "athletic and recreational precinct." Administrators are also working on plans to renovate nearby Sewell Hall, a dorm housing athletes.

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2010/09/au_seeks_new_batch_of_classrom.html

[AUBURNJAC 53]

Most of my classes where in Haley Center, and while it'll be sad to see it go, it was aging 10 years ago when I graduated. It probably is a sound building, but the guys right.... It would probably cost just about as much to renovate it. Plus, to keep up with the other fine institutions around the country, there is not much guess to me that we need the newest and most technically advanced building we can afford just to keep student interest and recruitment of fine students from all over the USA.

[sam 0]

If they tear down the haley center, I'd like to see a similar sized building built in it's place. It wouldn't feel for there to be a big empty space in the skyline where the Haley center used to be.

[bigsixfive 341]

Absurd.

1. We're in a recession and colleges have shown little regard for slowing their insatiable appetites for buildings.

2. Tuition has SKYROCKETED in the past 8 years, and that doesn't count how much it went up prior to that. At some point, the education received isn't about how new the buildings are, its about the quality of the material offered. Go to MIT. Heck, go overseas, where the quality of education is quickly surpassing the US. AU is the Taj Mahal comparatively.

At some point, the cost of attending a 4 year school, especially a "name" 4 year school, isn't worth it. People will start going to the smaller colleges to avoid crippling debt when (or if) they graduate. You want the best and the brightest to be your classmates or attend your alma matter or future school - not go elsewhere.

3. There's something to be said about student teacher ratios. I know in my former department, they've gotten incredibly high compared to what they were when I was an undergrad, and they were a little high then. I really don't know how uat has addressed this issue by adding, what, 7k to their enrollment in 5 years? I taught an upper level class in my department that had over 50 people in it several times. The same class contained over 70 at times, and thank goodness I wasn't teaching. Its impossible to provide an adequate amount of attention to that many students for some classes. And while it is the professors' job to teach, consider that many of them have 2, 3, and sometimes 4 classes in the same semester. Also consider that's not the only job for many of them; bringing in research money and doing research is a considerable task.

Two thumbs down on this. I appreciate the effort to stay modern, but how modern do intro level liberal arts/core courses need to be? I'm tired of the reasoning that it would cost as much or more to renovate, because that's a load of bull. We're talking about the tallest building in Lee County, and probably the 2nd or 3rd largest building in east Alabama outside of EAMC and maybe Russell Hospital. Deconstruction alone will be a large cost, and I'm guessing those numbers are never in the budgets that sell these things. How about showing some fiscal responsibility and going with the option that costs a 1/3 less with the same outcome, especially given the current economic situation?

[TexasTiger 14,226]

I'd like to see the studies that show Haley Center can't be sufficiently brought up to speed in a more cost effective manner than replacing all that square footage with new facilities. Adding AV/Tech to the classrooms shouldn't be that difficult. He doesn't say anything about the building not be structurally sound. Math and science facilities may be another matter, though.

[Mikey 16,781]

I watched them build Haley Center. Dammed if I see the need to tear it down. Like is mentioned above if it can be repaired for 2/3 the cost what's wrong with that?

And tear down Upchurch? That's my home place. They can tear it down when they pry my cold, dead fingers away from the stone steps we all sat on between classes.

[RunInRed 18,280]

I have mixed feelings about Haley but Parker definitely needs to go. It sticks out like a sore thumb on that side of campus now.

[TitanTiger 21,219]

Despite the great memories some of you have...Haley's an ugly building. Part of the brutalist architecture trend from the 50s through the early 70s that resulted in blocky, nondescript, utilitarian piles of concrete that have no reference to the rest of the campus.

I mean, if they want to spend $20 million to gut, retro-fit and update the building instead of $30 million to tear it down and put something better in its place, I can't argue with the raw dollar argument. But in terms of campus beautification, it would be nice if Haley and these other architectural mishaps had a more classic architecture look to it that fit in better with their surroundings.

[aumd03 2]

Despite the great memories some of you have...Haley's an ugly building. Part of the brutalist architecture trend from the 50s through the early 70s that resulted in blocky, nondescript, utilitarian piles of concrete that have no reference to the rest of the campus.

I mean, if they want to spend $20 million to gut, retro-fit and update the building instead of $30 million to tear it down and put something better in its place, I can't argue with the raw dollar argument. But in terms of campus beautification, it would be nice if Haley and these other architectural mishaps had a more classic architecture look to it that fit in better with their surroundings.

+1

[Aufan59 168]

I had four English classes in Haley. They were the most useless classes I have ever taken. Tear that hell hole down along with Parker.

[bigsixfive 341]

Yes its ugly, and its internal layout is a freshman's nightmare. But the building is certainly functional.

I'm not arguing against Parker, that place is falling in on itself.

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

I have mixed feelings about Haley but Parker definitely needs to go. It sticks out like a sore thumb on that side of campus now.

Yes, Parker is hurting bad and is run down. Also looks out of place by the science and chem buildings cause they are so new.

Glad to see they are building Kinesiology its own building. Was curious what was going to happen to them with BEC apparently getting torn down.

It looks like they want to build everyone their own buildings though.

[Aufan59 168]

They don't teach anything of value in Haley. Tear it down and put up a parking deck.

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

They don't teach anything of value in Haley. Tear it down and put up a parking deck.

K I will bite out of curiosity, what is wrong with everything that is taught in Haley and why does it have no value?

[Aufan59 168]

They don't teach anything of value in Haley. Tear it down and put up a parking deck.

K I will bite out of curiosity, what is wrong with everything that is taught in Haley and why does it have no value?

Nothing related to math or science. Basically the majors women choose when they are getting their MRS. Degree.

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

They don't teach anything of value in Haley. Tear it down and put up a parking deck.

K I will bite out of curiosity, what is wrong with everything that is taught in Haley and why does it have no value?

Nothing related to math or science. Basically the majors women choose when they are getting their MRS. Degree.

Guess you don't like alot of your fellow alumni then do you lol.

English teaches you comprehension and formulation of arguments. Teaches you to think same with Philosophy.

History, learn from the worlds mistakes and know your background.

Psychology, therapy obviously has been proven useful throughout time. Cognitive, Sensing/Perception/ Neuroscience = science.

Foreign languages, used in business and travel.

Statistics... math.

Early childhood development stuff... figured teaching children is kinda useful.

Motor Development... science of muscular development and diseases.

Criminology/Anthropology/Sociology..... keeps your football team eligible. Forensic sciences in these divisions get a ton of use in today's society and I think is some cool stuff.

Come on, lot of useful stuff over there it all depends on what you chose to do with it. I find alot of that more useful to the world and society then the engineer that developed a specific washer that made a dryer turn 1 second faster and take up less space. Thats what the engineer do at where my mother works anyway.

The math science disciplines are very important, but so are tons of other things.

[Aufan59 168]

Aside from statistics, you mentioned many majors who are for women getting their MRS. Degrees, football players, or those who didn't want to take the more difficult majors pertaining to their field.

I can buy foreign languages being valid, but Rosetta Stone and a plane ticket to a foreign country seems like a better way to learn.

[AURainman 6]

They don't teach anything of value in Haley. Tear it down and put up a parking deck.

K I will bite out of curiosity, what is wrong with everything that is taught in Haley and why does it have no value?

Nothing related to math or science. Basically the majors women choose when they are getting their MRS. Degree.

I had no idea AUfan59 was a gorilla. Hmmm.....

...look dude. I'm an engineer, but even I understand that there's more to education than math and science. And certainly more than an MRS degree is taught in Haley.

[Aufan59 168]

My four English classes in high school were more enriching and challenging than the four I took at Auburn.

I understand that some of these subjects are good to dabble in for a well rounded education, but to spend four years studying sociology? Really? Its just a part of college being for everyone, solely because everyone paying tuition makes more money than not everyone paying tuition.

[aumd03 2]

They don't teach anything of value in Haley. Tear it down and put up a parking deck.

K I will bite out of curiosity, what is wrong with everything that is taught in Haley and why does it have no value?

Nothing related to math or science. Basically the majors women choose when they are getting their MRS. Degree.

Wow, I know I can be a bit high brow when it comes to degrees but geez. That was a little excessive.

I use philosophy principles I learned in Haley on this forum on almost a daily basis.

[Aufan59 168]

They don't teach anything of value in Haley. Tear it down and put up a parking deck.

K I will bite out of curiosity, what is wrong with everything that is taught in Haley and why does it have no value?

Nothing related to math or science. Basically the majors women choose when they are getting their MRS. Degree.

Wow, I know I can be a bit high brow when it comes to degrees but geez. That was a little excessive.

I use philosophy principles I learned in Haley on this forum on almost a daily basis.

In my English and philosophy classes, it was nothing but appeasing the ego of the professor, rewriting what they wanted you to write. In sociology it was nothing but looking over old exam an hour before an exam.

Maybe it was once good, or I just got bad professors. But I didn't learn a damn thing when I was in Haley, except how to navigate a horribly constructed building.

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

They don't teach anything of value in Haley. Tear it down and put up a parking deck.

K I will bite out of curiosity, what is wrong with everything that is taught in Haley and why does it have no value?

Nothing related to math or science. Basically the majors women choose when they are getting their MRS. Degree.

Wow, I know I can be a bit high brow when it comes to degrees but geez. That was a little excessive.

I use philosophy principles I learned in Haley on this forum on almost a daily basis.

In my English and philosophy classes, it was nothing but appeasing the ego of the professor, rewriting what they wanted you to write. In sociology it was nothing but looking over old exam an hour before an exam.

Maybe it was once good, or I just got bad professors. But I didn't learn a damn thing when I was in Haley, except how to navigate a horribly constructed building.

You got bad prof's for all of them. None of mine wanted you throwing back what they said, they graded you on your ability to be an original thinker. Rewriting/summarizing what they said would get you a D and possibly a C, anything over that took originality that legitimately fit in with what the authors/philosophers were saying. Arguments had to be well constructed and supported.

Sociology I took was the same though as yours, study a hour for the exam.

One of my degrees is in psych but I hit the sensing and perceiving, neurobehavior science, and cognitive and advanced experimental class's.. you can beef psychology some(not like engineering or something of course but make it science heavy). Then if you just learned to rewrite/summarize well your research thoughts and ideas are gonna kinda suck as are your papers.

[Aufan59 168]

Well I think psychologists are quacks who are bar tenders with higher tabs that don't serve alcohol. Philosophy is a complete waste of time, it's about mutual disagreements for argument's sake. I suppose philosophy is fun and meaningful when I'm stoned, but so are video games.

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

Well I think psychologists are quacks who are bar tenders with higher tabs that don't serve alcohol.

Majority of males in this country think this way, so no surprise there. Why they lead the way in skipping the professionals, use drug/alcohol to self-medicate, then pull the trigger on their own life. About every 1-100.

I will use mine with my other degree to fight the obesity issue. While the engineering would be genius and fascinating I would prefer the world didn't look like the road scene from the movie Wall-E. 400lb people floating around on scooters talking to a screen. It's bad enough in stores like Wal-Mart as it is now.

[Aufan59 168]

Majority of males in this country think this way, so no surprise there. Why they lead the way in skipping the professionals, use drug/alcohol to self-medicate, then pull the trigger on their own life. About every 1-100.

Sounds like those males are problem solvers.

I will use mine with my other degree to fight the obesity issue. While the engineering would be genius and fascinating I would prefer the world didn't look like the road scene from the movie Wall-E. 400lb people floating around on scooters talking to a screen. It's bad enough in stores like Wal-Mart as it is now.

Eat less, exercise more. The problem is solved for those who aren't lazy/stupid.