USI » Governmental Relations » Captial Budget 2005-2007

Attachment B

NEED AND PURPOSE

NEW CONSTRUCTION

Budget Agency Number: G-0-01-1-01-P

RELATIONSHIP TO MISSION AND LONG-RANGE PLANNING:
The University of Southern Indiana is a broad-based institution offering instruction, research, and service. A liberal arts and science curriculum provides the foundation of knowledge for all programs and complements undergraduate programs leading to careers in business, engineering, government, health professions, education, and related fields. Selected master's degrees serve persons in professional and technical fields. As a public institution, the University of Southern Indiana counsels and assists business and industry, as well as social, educational, governmental, and health agencies to higher levels of efficiency and improved services. More than 9,300 students are enrolled in degree programs; in addition, another 9,000 students enroll annually in noncredit, continuing education, workforce training, and professional development programs at the University. Conservative enrollment projections indicate a student headcount of over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students by 2004.

The proposed construction of a new David L. Rice Library is planned to serve the University's academic programs and to provide space for growth of library functions and services to meet both current and projected future needs. The library project will accommodate changes in the manner in which students and faculty currently use campus library facilities. Library patrons will have convenient access to electronic media and the Internet and group study areas and conference rooms to better accommodate modern learning styles. The overall library design offers a focus identified with the important role a campus library plays in the active scholarship occurring at a vibrant university.

NEED AND EXPECTED CONTRIBUTION TO EDUCATIONAL SERVICES:
The University of Southern Indiana has experienced tremendous growth during its thirty-seven-year history. The David L. Rice Library was built in 1971 to serve a student population of 3,500 to 5,000 students. Today, the library serves a student population of more than 9,300 students. The University expects continued growth in enrollment at a rate of three to five percent per year. If future growth meets even the most modest projections, the University will serve more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students before the expansion of the library can be completed. Library services and functions have changed radically since the USI facility opened. In addition to the traditional print media, libraries now house a wide array of electronic media and serve as the portal to a world of resources. Libraries provide not only the traditional quiet study space, but also computer laboratories, group study areas, and instruction of patrons.

Library Expansion
The Library/Classroom Expansion/Renovation project will provide additional space for all areas of a severely crowded library and meet a critical need for additional student study space. Flexibility in the design of the project will allow space currently needed for classrooms and faculty offices to revert to useful library space as the library's collections and services grow.

Expansion of the library will provide increased study space, computer workstations, an electronic training/library instruction room, casual seating, and group study rooms. Small group-study rooms will have Internet access and interactive video to serve a variety of student needs. Additional space is needed to support substantially increased enrollments and to accommodate changes in services and collections brought about through changing technology.

Student Study Areas:
There is a tremendous need for increased student study areas. The current library no longer can accommodate the number of individuals using the facility. A minimum of 10 to 15 percent of the students should be able to find study seating at any time. The University's library can accommodate less than six percent of the student population. Additional study tables, study carrels, and casual seating will be added in the new project. Several group study rooms which will accommodate up to six individuals will be included in the project. The rooms will be equipped with Internet access and be located close to main book stacks. Computer workstations are essential in today's library to allow increased student access to interactive video, multi-media learning packages, and access to computerized reference sources. Computerized laboratories will support workshops and classes for computer training.

Stacks and Specialized Shelving:
In order to accommodate stack capacity currently needed, to plan for necessary expansion, and to provide adequate aisle width for disabled patrons, additional space must be provided to increase the stack capacity. Even though print collections may increase only modestly over the next decades, there is little to no room on the shelves today to move and rearrange existing stacks, much less room for even modest growth. Any significant addition to a classification section requires shifting of several ranges of shelves in order to accommodate the additions. Also, specialized shelving is required for:

Serials
Government documents
Microforms
Reference
Maps, atlases, pamphlets, and oversized books

Public Service Areas:

Reference and Instructional Services: The main reference desk and ancillary service points need to be easily found, clearly identified, and well staffed. Key staff need offices near the central reference desk.

Instructional Services Training Classroom: One of the most important and highly visible library activities is the provision of classes in the use of library resources. It is essential to have space in the library dedicated to this function.

Microform Storage and User Space: Storage of microform requires space and user space is needed for readers/printers. With the addition of digital reader/printers, more space will be needed as this portion of the collection gains importance because of increased accessibility and usability.

Circulation and Reserves: This is a very busy and crowded area which requires multiple workstations for checking out and returning materials.

Interlibrary Lending and Document Delivery: Growth in this area requires additional work and staff space as well as access for students and faculty requesting materials.

Media and Teaching Materials: This highly utilized area contains materials for teacher education students, video and audio materials, and music CD ROMS used by all patrons. There is a need for individual listening cubicles, a video previewing area, and work tables for class projects.

University Archives and Special Collections: This area at present is critically overcrowded. Donations have been turned away because there was no possibility for adequate handling or storage.

Library Office and Workspace:
Adequate space is needed for staff records, supplies, office workspace, and conferences. The areas of Technical Services, Government Documents, Serials, and Collection Development, which are largely behind-the-scenes services, need room for book carts, shelving, and tables to complete essential library functions. Technological changes in library systems require space for computerized systems. Adequate space for staff, equipment, workspace, and storage are essential to the operation of these library systems. In the present library, more than 5,000 ASF in hallways and stairwells are used for storage.

General Purpose Classrooms
An important element of the Library/Classroom Expansion/Renovation project is the creation of two new general purpose classrooms and two new computer laboratories. These classrooms are necessary to help keep pace with expected enrollment increases of about three to five percent per year. These classrooms will provide potential future expansion space for the library. As replacement classrooms are constructed at other sites, the library will be able to expand into the classroom space.

Faculty Offices
It is anticipated that for the immediate future as the University continues to grow, additional office space will be needed for faculty. At present, all faculty offices are assigned and, in some cases, faculty are expected to share office space. Offices for part-time and adjunct faculty are nearly nonexistent. This project includes space for four faculty offices and one administrative office.

Academic Affairs Offices
Three Academic Affairs departments - the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, Graduate Studies and Sponsored Research, and Extended Services -- will relocate to space in the existing library building. The space requested for these departments will replace existing space (which is inadequate) and will provide additional space to accommodate expected growth. Each of these departments provides important programs and services for key University constituencies and is vital in meeting University mission objectives. Extended Services coordinates University outreach and public service functions as well as programs related to economic and workforce development. Graduate Studies and Sponsored Research works closely with faculty and students in expanding graduate program areas and also provides support to faculty, staff, and students with grants and research projects. The Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence is an important component in retention efforts and supports projects to improve teaching and learning for students and faculty in both on-campus and distant learning settings.

The space requested for these departments will include offices for professional and support staff, operations and work areas, storage, and consulting and meeting rooms. Space also will be provided for training purposes and media support areas. Estimated space needs for these departments total 7,940 ASF.

Proposed Academic Affairs space:

Extended Services	5,406 ASF
Graduate Studies and Sponsored Research	1,848
Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence	686
	7,940 ASF

Central Receiving and Distribution Services
A small but important element of the Library/Classroom Expansion/Renovation project is construction of a 3,900 ASF facility for Central Receiving and Distribution Services. This building will replace the existing 855 ASF currently located at the southeast corner of the library's lower level.

The existing 855-square-foot area serves as the central receiving point, staging area, and (in some cases) warehouse for most shipments arriving at the University. It includes a loading dock for delivery trucks. This area also serves as the University's mailroom, where incoming mail is sorted for campus delivery and outgoing mail is processed (stapled, folded, stuffed, sealed, addressed, stamped, and sorted).

While an earlier concept called for expanding the existing 855 ASF facility at its current central-campus location, more thorough architectural planning now calls for relocating the facility to a low-cost prefabricated building at an off-site location near the edge of campus. This solution will save money, is more convenient for delivery trucks, and diverts most truck traffic away from the center of campus.

Roadway Relocation
The existing University Boulevard, with classroom buildings to the west and parking to the east, forces most students, faculty and staff, and visitors to walk across four lanes of traffic to reach their campus destination, including the library and the University Center.

Improved access to the new David L. Rice Library and the expanded University Center is an important part of this project. Redesign and relocation of University Boulevard will increase safety, improve access from parking areas, and better control the flow of on-campus traffic.

ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED:

As noted in the "Planning Changes" section of the Library/Classroom Expansion/Renovation capital request, an early alternative which was considered would have expanded the footprint of the existing library building. The original concept was changed when architectural planning began in earnest and it became clear that a separate free-standing library building offered numerous advantages.

PRIORITY RANKING:
The Library/Classroom Expansion/Renovation is the University's first and only priority for a State-funded construction project in the 2003-05 Capital Improvement Budget Request. The Library/Classroom Expansion/Renovation project is important to the continued growth of the University of Southern Indiana and directly supports the mission of the campus. The library is a primary resource for all students and faculty and is needed because of the inadequacy of the existing facility.

RELATIONSHIP TO LONG-RANGE FACILITY PLANS:
This project is an integral part of the University's long-range facility plan. It is closely linked with other related projects, including expansion of the University Center and relocation of University Boulevard which now bisects the campus.

The Library/Classroom Expansion project was initially included in the mid-term of the University's 1991-93 Ten-Year Capital Improvement Budget Request. The project appeared in the 1993-95, the 1995-97, the 1997-99, the 1999-01, and the 2001-2003 Ten-Year Capital Improvement Budget Requests submitted by the University of Southern Indiana.

The 2001 Indiana General Assembly recognized the need for the Library/Classroom Expansion and appropriated planning funds for the project. The 2003-05 capital budget request for expansion of the David L. Rice Library is consistent with the University's planning for additional facilities necessitated by enrollment increases and for improved and expanded facilities to provide quality instruction.

8600 University Boulevard - Evansville, IN 47712-3596 - 812/464-8600