A NEW SU? Comets will determine whether new SU, athletics facilities built in referendum vote

FATIMAH AZEEM Managing Editor

Students will have the opportunity to vote for two referendums to support a new SU building and expand the athletics department from Oct. 4 -6.

The referendums propose raising the Student Fee from $60 to $100 per semester, and the Intramural and Intercollegiate Athletics Fee from $45 per semester to $7 per semester credit hour. Vice President of Student Affairs Gene Fitch said the raised Union fee would primarily go towards a new SU complex which would be large enough to support 35,000 students, and the athletics fee would go towards a multitude of department enhancements including building a new track and field complex open for athletes and the public alike, expanding coach and staff offices, and adding a strength and conditioning facility.

If passed, the fee would go into effect in fall 2023, and the University would begin breaking ground on the new SU and track complex as soon as possible, which Fitch said is likely summer 2024. In terms of financial aid, the fees would be considered a school cost, and it wouldn’t affect students on the guaranteed tuition plan.

The referendums come at a critical time in student growth. The University is expecting to enroll nearly 32,000 students this fall and expects to exceed 35,000 students in the next three to five years, making the school one of the fastest growing in all of Texas. The Association of College Unions (ACU-I) recommends university unions allocate 10 sq ft of space to each student, meaning UTD’s current 100,000 sq ft building is too small. To put it further into perspective, enrollment has increased by 153% since the last time the Union fee was raised in 2001, and the athletics fee hasn’t been raised since its conception in 2008.

“There’s never a good time to come to students and ask them to support a fee increase, but if there were, this is probably that time,” Fitch said. “Once this happens, you're looking at three to potentially four years before a building is up and operational. So, the longer we wait, the more space constrained we become, and we're not getting any smaller. We have 400 student organizations, all of which need space, and we're all fighting for the approximately eight meeting spaces we have now, including the Galaxy Rooms.”

Among new amenities and spaces in the new SU master plan, are updated

McDermott library aims to create inviting space

MANYA BONDADA Mercury Staff

The McDermott Library is currently undergoing various renovation projects to enhance UTD students’ study experiences and create a more welcoming and open environment.

For the past few years, as UTD has drastically increased in physical size and population, several additions have been made to improve the library’s academic aura. The library is using grant money to improve its educational amenities and upgrade technology so that a greater number of students can study comfortably. Much of this grant money is going towards the creation of more smart study rooms, upgrading technology in the instruction