ASUCLA rethinks renovation plans

Associated Students of UCLA may need to redraw its plan to
revamp on-campus food service locations due to a potential
shortfall of students who will be enrolled at the university in the
next five years.

ASUCLA is anticipating an income loss due to a preliminary
projected campus enrollment that shows 2,000 fewer students than
the original five-year planned figures.

“The Food Services Master Plan as written is no longer a
viable plan,” said Bob Williams, interim executive director
of the association.

The plan aims to improve the quality, variety and structure of
various food facilities on campus.

Because of the expected decrease in student enrollment, there
may not be enough customers to make up for the construction and
operation costs of these food locations, he said.

“Conditions have changed so much in the last year and a
half that I believe we should rethink the whole plan,”
Williams said.

In addition to possible enrollment shortfall, the opening of new
residence halls may cause a loss to the customer base of ASUCLA
food facilities as more residents go on mandatory meal plans, said
student union Director Jerry Mann. The association was expecting an
increase in student enrollment to offset this change, he said.

Members of the services and enterprises committee members which
met Jan. 16 are exploring options that would allow the association
to continue necessary renovations of on-campus facilities while
rescaling the plan to match lower enrollment figures.

The new Food Services Master Plan will need to be a five-year
plan that goes along with the forecast of the state budget,
Williams said.

Committee members discussed the possibility of closing down
certain food locations while stretching out the construction time
for others to allow more time for the association to explore
additional funding resources.

Williams added that planned construction of a casual dining
space that serves alcohol may need to be put on hold while ASUCLA
concentrates on renovating antiquated facilities at the Bombshelter
food facility, located in South Campus.

ASUCLA has also received a high preliminary construction
estimate for renovation at Campus Corner ““ where Taco Bell is
located ““ partly because the current structure is built
attached to a historic wall of the Men’s Gym.

In addition, the original budget plan was drawn up on the
condition that there would be increases in student enrollment at
the university.

Any construction plan for Campus Corner also depends on whether
Taco Bell will remain on campus. The status of the popular eatery
is still on hold while ASUCLA waits for a report ““ to be
submitted to the association by April 30 ““ on labor
conditions in Immokalee, Fla., where the restaurant purchases some
of its tomatoes.

Despite potential budget constraints and enrollment shortfalls,
association members said they remain committed to improving
services on campus.

“ASUCLA still has the responsibility to provide campus
residents with first-rate facilities regardless of problems with
enrollment counts,” said Dria Fearn, chair of the services
and enterprises committee.

Committee members are looking to integrate the Food Services
Master Plan with the Student Union Strategic Initiative ““ a
plan that involves creating more space for student groups and
installing computer terminals at various locations on campus, she
said.

Fearn, who is also an undergraduate representative to the
association’s board of the directors, added that both plans
envision major improvements in student services and facilities.
Such renovations likely would mean an increase in the student union
fee, currently set at $7.50 per student.

“Students can get so much benefit from the little
additional amount that each person chips in,” she said.