The Lawrence University Community Council approved two key resolutions this past Tuesday. One resolution updated LUCC’s smoking halo legislation, and the other allocated $15,000 toward upgrading the equipment at the Rec Center.
The old smoking halo legislation provided that several residence halls could vote to decide if they wanted smoking rooms in their buildings. This legislation conflicted with the overarching university policy, declaring a smoke-free campus, enacted this past year, and hence was in need of change.
LUCC’s large contribution to the Rec Center rehab will complete a fundraising effort started by President Beck during the past few months. LUCC President Joel Rogers and Vice-President Tariq Engineer approached Beck about updating the equipment on several occasions during first term, and Beck suggested that fundraising, and not student dollars, should be the first way to pay for the upgrade. Beck then told Engineer that they would discuss the matter again in January.
Earlier this month, Beck approached LUCC stating that she had raised almost all of the necessary capital for the equipment upgrades from private donors, the president’s and dean of the faculty’s discretionary funds, members of the board of trustees, and the Lawrence athletic department, but needed another $15,000 from LUCC to meet the $80,000 upgrade cost.
LUCC’s Finance Committee debated the matter, and recommended that LUCC approve the request. The Finance Committee argued that the equipment in the Rec was no longer safe for student use, that upgrading the equipment would “increase the utility of the Rec Center on campus,” and also that LUCC had enough money to help finance the upgrade. The General Council approved the request unanimously.
The Rec Center upgrade also aligns with the campaign platform of Rogers, who last year controversially advocated cutting a convocation speaker in order to finance the upgrade. Thanks to the fundraising effort headed by Beck, financing the upgrade will have not negatively affect the ’04-’05 or ’05-’06 convocation series.
Both the revision to the smoking halo legislation and the Rec Center allocation will be effective immediately upon Beck’s approval.
LUCC approves gym, halo rules, upgrade -dlh
