. June 1996.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Douglas college Student Society President, Katrina Lennax, stands in the area where the DCSS buiding will be, just outside the library on 7th Street.

photo by Paul Andrew

 

 

by Paul Andrew

Douglas College students will soon havea new,
three story, 17,000 sq. ft. building on campus they
can call their own, and they might be able to light
up a smoke while they relax among the facilities
in the building that will be bought — and paid
for — by the $9 building levy that students have
been paying since 1989.

The levy, which is paid every time a student
signs up for a course at Douglas, was necessary
in order to achieve a $1 million student society
bank account. Otherwise, the college would not
agree to apply for the additional funding needed
from the ministry of finance to allow students to
finally begin the project.

The financing, however, is just one component
of this project that prevented the student society
from moving into their new home at an earlier
date. Because of the two-year program format at
a community college like Douglas, there have
been at least three student governments involved
in the planning of the student society building,
and each one has put their own stamp on it.

“Half the people in the DCSS wanted design
changes and that held things up,” said Katrina
Lennax, current student society president. “But
the biggest delay is not having the money in your
account,” she added.

Although Lennax says it was a tricky process
| to get the project to this point, including endless
meetings with the administration, and cooperation
from the Ministry of Education, Skills and
Training, she said she’s happy students will finally
have a place where they can be themselves, and
have some first class facilities to use in addition
to those already available at Douglas.

“This is a building for students, so there is also
space set aside for societies like the Other Press
student newspaper,” Lennax explained. “The
biggest complaint (on campus) is not enough
student involvement. If you go to closed
programs, you see them full because students can
kick back and relax. That’s why we need a place
paid for by all the students’,” she added.

The student building, which will cost around
$3 million by the time furniture and facilities are

 

 

brought in, is going to be connected to the college
at the Royal Avenue entrance by the covered
walkway adjacent to the Douglas College Theatre.
The actual building will be erected beside the
existing library, and will also have an entrance off
7th Street.

Not only will there be space for students to
escape the hectic pace of a full course load, but
there are also conference rooms and a cafeteria in
the plans that will eventually turn a profit for the
student society, which will benefit the whole
student population on campus.

“You wouldn’t believe all the calls we’ve had
from other departments seeing if they could lease
space in our building,” Lennax said. “The biggest
problem is the cafeteria, because the current food

services on campus may have rights over anyone
else. But we will make a profit on the cafeteria,”
she added.

Brian Hulme, of C.J.P. Architects in New
Westminster, has been working with the students
since the design was requested in 1989, so he has
had a close relationship with the student society at
Douglas, and seems as relieved as anyone that the
project will finally begin construction sometime
in June.

“We tried to reach a middle ground between what
the students wanted and what the New West Design
Panel wanted,” Hulme explained. “I think we’ve
achieved that.”

Hulme says there will not be any need to apply
for rezoning because the area that Douglas is in

Finally we get our place!

was zoned for redevelopment some time ago. “It’s
a very significant addition to the college for the
students, but not necessarily an impact to the
community,” Hulme explained. “It isn’t bringing
any more people into the area,” he added.

The total cost of the building will exceed the
$1 million the student society has in their account,
so they haven’t finished collecting fees from the
students. But, according to Lennax, that hasn’t
been a problem. And one of the reasons why the
student levy of $9 is inconspicuous is because it
has evolved into a permanent addition to course
fees during the past seven years.

“Nobody asks; ‘What are the building fees
for?’,” Lennax said. “Very few people knew we
were collecting $9 for a building fee.

 

 

 

 

 

Artist's rendering of the new student society buiding. Below the sundeck is the library loading bay.