Syndicated to the Herald via The Forum.
The North Dakota University System is looking for money from the state to improve facilities--but will they get it? Find out in this semester's exciting episode of "Who Got Da Money, Yo?" broadcast live from the upper midwest! These items appear to have been approved
back in June.
Some of the big-ticket items:
- $17.6 million for a joint North Dakota University System/UND information technology facility.This one is near and dear to me for a few reasons, the first being that a chunk of the NDUS IT group is located in the top floor of my academic building, so rather than doing scientific prepwork, experiments, storing things and hosting student or faculty offices, the space is lost to my department.
- $10.8 million for the Rhoades Science Center addition and renovation at Valley City State University.According to a
document from 2008:
L. D. Rhoades Science Center was constructed in 1973 and currently houses the divisions of Science and Math along with campus Information Technology Center. Recent changes and trends in the standards and safety requirements for campus research facilities requires that the existing Rhoades Science Center be renovated to provide modern, safe facilities that are attractive to prospective students and competitive with other institutions.
Additional space is required to accommodate increased enrollments in Health Sciences and includes the needs for additional research labs, cadaver lab, preparation space, classrooms, and support facilities.
The proposed project provides for the construction of a 20,000 sf addition to the Rhoades Science Center for research and renovation of the existing building to improve instructional lab and classroom space, improved equipment, mechanical, air quality and life safety systems, and remedy of deferred maintenance.
- $8.2 million for the Old Main renovation at the North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton.- $28.9 million for a health sciences facility addition for UND’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences.- $12.5 million for an Energy & Environmental Research Center office and lab addition in Grand Forks. I think this may be more stuff associated with the hydrogen lab, but I could be wrong. They're also doing a lot with CO
2 sequestration right now.
What do you think folks? Will the NDUS fight their way through the legislature to the hidden treasure? Will the projects come off as planned? Will the students be happier?
Find out next semester!