Though the slated multi-million dollar Bovee University Center renovations are financially excessive, developers nevertheless should make the most of the opportunity.

If the university is going to renovate the UC, it needs to be done right. Renovations will begin in January 2010, giving developers enough time to explore a slew of options.

Here are our top six suggestions for the renovation:

1. Including a post office in the UC would be beneficial to the community. This would act as a central hub for campus mailing needs, and would be useful. Currently, the closest post office is at the Student Book Exchange, 209 E. Bellows St. For students and faculty living north of campus, this is convenient. But for everyone else, it is off the beaten path, which is why a post office in the UC would be a more convenient stop.

2. Including a centrally located convince store would allow on- and off-campus students the ability to get everyday items in walking distance. Anyone needing a quick item for class or last-minute groceries could shop with ease instead of having to travel off campus.

3. To bring more students to the UC, successfully making it to a student center, a laptop lounge should be added. Here, students could visit with classmates and friends or work on homework. This would bring more students to campus and act as an overall meeting place for students.

4. The UC can be used as a waiting room until a student’s or professor’s next class. To improve on this, a lounge/study space should be added. This could be a quiet room where students could work on homework or professors could grade assignments.

5. Many students have group projects, and organizations have committee meetings that necessitate a meeting space. With the addition of reservable conference rooms, meetings could be held at the UC. A few reservable rooms already exist at the Charles V. Park Library, but they are sometimes unavailable. The addition of more rooms would make meetings easier to plan and organize.

6. Extending operating hours would be most convenient to students. Many times students need to meet for class projects as late as 11 p.m. With extended hours in the lounge area and coffee shop, availability and accessibility would be increased. This would benefit students and serve their needs most.

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