The sixth annual Town Hall Meeting, hosted by President George Hanbury, was held on Oct. 22 in the Arena Club Room of the Don Taft University Center.
The meeting was an opportunity for students to directly voice their concerns to Hanbury and other NSU administrators.
Almost 100 people attended, including undergraduate and graduate students, administrators, faculty, and deans of various colleges and programs.
Hanbury spent a majority of the meeting addressing students’ concerns that were printed in The Current’s Oct. 15 edition of “On the Scene,” in which students responded to the question: “What question might you want to ask President Hanbury at the Town Hall meeting?” Hanbury extracted each response from the paper to begin the meeting’s question and answer session.
Hanbury said, “I found out a long time ago that if you don’t pay attention to the little things, the big things never get paid attention to, and the mundane questions are just as important as the lofty goals.”
Two questions taken from The Current, both asked by undergraduate students, sparked discussion about the nutritional value and affordability of NSU’s dining options.
Cassie Willrett, freshman marine biology major, asked “Will there ever be a regular cafeteria or better food options in Shark Dining?” and Kristina Jackson, sophomore biology major, asked, “Why are most of the options in Shark Dining so unhealthy?”
Hanbury explained that before the UC opened eight years ago, a survey was conducted asking students if they would prefer a food court or cafeteria; the majority of responses indicated the desire for a food court, and the university complied.
But Hanbury acknowledged that students’ needs may have changed over the years, and promised that when the next residential hall is built on campus, it will include a cafeteria open to all students. A new residential hall cannot be built, however, until there is an increase in undergraduate enrollment. Hanbury also reminded students that the cafeteria in the Health Professions Division’s Terry Administration Building is open to all students, not just HPD students.
Marc Croquet, vice president of Business Services, explained that balance and variety are considered when food items are added to Shark Dining menus.
“When we focus on healthy items, for some reason, they tend not to do well,” he said.
Croquet said that when the profit made from specific items is examined, it is often discovered that some options are “too healthy,” and do not appeal to students.
Resident District Manager of Chartwells Robert Genser has responded to this issue by co-creating a brochure that he hopes will dispel the idea that NSU serves only junk food.
In 2012, sophomore environmental studies major Leela Mansukhani was inspired by a class assignment to approach Genser with concern about NSU’s lack of healthy dining options. Genser took her on a tour of the main campus’s dining facilities, to show Mansukhani that there are healthy options available, and she changed her mind.
“NSU students can’t find the healthy food on campus, but it is there,” said Mansukhani. “They also probably don’t have time to wander around the UC and look through the menus for something healthy to eat.”
The brochure was her solution to the problem. After many interviews with students and Shark Dining employees, Mansukhani and Genser created the “Eat Right at NSU” brochure, which outlines the healthy options available at each dining location on NSU’s main campus.
According to Genser, thousands of copies have been distributed to the NSU community, and in response to students’ questions at the meeting, Hanbury and Genser promised they would make the brochures more available at the UC food court, the Alvin Sherman Library and the HPD cafeteria.
Another discussion was prompted by a question from The Current; senior psychology major Megan Thomas was concerned about the prolonged construction on campus and wondered why it continues to obstruct students’ daily routes to their classes. According to Hanbury, there were only two ongoing construction projects on the main campus at the start of the semester: the remodeling of the Parker Building and the Welcome Center in the Horowitz Administration Building. Both projects are near completion.
Future construction projects will include the expansion of the parking garages and of the Aquatics Center, and the creation of the Center for Collaborative Research and the recently proposed HCA hospital and emergency room.
“I’m afraid we will still have some more construction. We have more expanding to do,” said Hanbury.
The emergency room alone is a $12 million project that will be completed in 18 to 24 months, and if the hospital is approved by the state of Florida and met with enough support by the NSU community, it could be built in three years.
Hanbury said that all construction projects must be accompanied by signs informing the community about expected completion dates and safety hazards, and Peter Witschen, vice president of Facilities, reassured students that adequate signage would be installed at every present and future construction site.
Thomas felt that Hanbury’s response to her question was helpful.
“He explained what was coming and how it would benefit me as a student,” said Thomas.
Witschen also said that the Flight Deck, which was closed on Sept. 9 for remodeling, will reopen in early February, and not at the start of the winter semester as previously planned. Due to the university’s desire to cut costs, it took longer than predicted to finalize the budget and plans for the project.
A concern brought up at previous Town Hall meetings was mentioned again, but this time with a solution; student clubs and organizations’ are often forced to spend their personal funds and await reimbursement, which often takes weeks.
Brad Williams, vice president of Student Affairs and dean of the College of Undergraduate Studies, said this recurring problem was made a priority after last year’s meeting, and his department has created a “P card” system that will allow student organizations to purchase materials from about 10 to 15 online vendors. The cards will be given to student organizations at the start of the winter semester, and will reduce the amount of paperwork and wait time when planning an event.
Several student veterans were also present at the meeting, and they voiced their concern about the difficulties veterans face as full-time college students. Leonardo Salas, senior business management major who served 11 years with the Marine Corps, expressed to Hanbury his challenge in maintaining his academic schedule and taking care of his children. Salas inquired about the possibility of an on-campus child care program, because the average age of an NSU undergraduate student is 24 and he feels that the need for a child care program is great.
Hanbury said, “We’ve got an older population here, and usually the older population has children.”
However, Hanbury and Jacqueline Travisano, executive vice president and chief operating officer, said that although NSU has many older students with children, they cannot justify using revenue to support such a large non-academic venture as the university is 80 percent tuition driven.
A few other concerns brought up by students were met with neutral responses; students asked for a promise to stop tuition increases and to raise the maximum number of students allowed in high-demand science classes that fill up quickly. Hanbury and several deans acknowledged the students’ frustrations but admitted that there are a few things that cannot be promised because the university cannot function if it bends some of its most important rules regarding tuition and small class sizes.
A few students also suggested a solution to their parking difficulties on the main campus; they hoped that NSU could provide a valet parking option. On Oct. 25, a survey was emailed to students asking for their input on the proposal; it will close on Nov. 7.
The Town Hall meetings will continue in January, when Hanbury will visit NSU’s regional campuses to meet with students, faculty and staff in a similar forum. If students have questions or comments for Hanbury, they are encouraged to send an email to askthepresident@nova.edu.
