About the Student Unions Feasibility Study¶
The UMTC Student Unions Feasibility Study will be used by Student Unions & Activities (SUA) to evaluate, prioritize, and plan for the future of improvements to facilities on the Twin Cities Campus. Student interests and activities at the University continue to evolve and develop, contributing to changing demands for student union services and spaces. In order to be responsive to changing demand, and to sustain a financially viable business model for their operations, Student Unions & Activities has undertaken the study as part of a long-term capital improvement process. The feasibility study is expected to be complete by Spring 2021.
SUA presently operates at three Twin Cities’ locations: Coffman Memorial Union on the Minneapolis East Bank, the West Bank Skyway on the West Bank, and St. Paul Student Center.
The Student Unions Feasibility Study in order to understand the facilities, space, and amenities needed to enliven the campus experience and complement its surrounding environment today and into the future. Please complete project questionnaires, attend upcoming events, and make your voice heard.
Study Components¶
Evaluation of Conditions
Study the existing conditions of Student Unions and Activities (SUA) at all present UMTC student union locations, with consideration of market, demographics, and peer institutions
Strategic Visioning
Create a vision statement describing the anticipated role of student unions on the Twin Cities Campus, with consideration of identified conditions, challenges, opportunities, and aspirations
Program Development
Develop program options for future student union programming and evaluate future space needs, including all potential activities, spaces, amenities, and tenants
Plan Concepts and Fit Testing
Propose concepts that balance student unions services across the Twin Cities Campus, in existing and proposed facility locations
Business Plans
Form a business plan for student unions that is student focused, optimizes the central East Bank location, and supports St Paul and other key campus locations
Study the existing conditions of Student Unions and Activities (SUA) at all present UMTC student union locations, with consideration of market, demographics, and peer institutions
Create a vision statement describing the anticipated role of student unions on the Twin Cities Campus, with consideration of identified conditions, challenges, opportunities, and aspirations
Program Development
Develop program options for future student union programming and evaluate future space needs, including all potential activities, spaces, amenities, and tenants
Plan Concepts and Fit Testing
Propose concepts that balance student unions services across the Twin Cities Campus, in existing and proposed facility locations
Business Plans
Form a business plan for student unions that is student focused, optimizes the central East Bank location, and supports St Paul and other key campus locations
Develop program options for future student union programming and evaluate future space needs, including all potential activities, spaces, amenities, and tenants
Propose concepts that balance student unions services across the Twin Cities Campus, in existing and proposed facility locations
Business Plans
Form a business plan for student unions that is student focused, optimizes the central East Bank location, and supports St Paul and other key campus locations
Form a business plan for student unions that is student focused, optimizes the central East Bank location, and supports St Paul and other key campus locations
Feedback¶
Check back for more opportunities to share your feedback on Student Unions this Fall.
Event Information¶
Open Houses
Join the project team for a discussion of the UMTC Student Unions Feasibility Study.
Please check back for upcoming meeting dates to be scheduled for Fall 2020.
Join the project team for a discussion of the UMTC Student Unions Feasibility Study.
Please check back for upcoming meeting dates to be scheduled for Fall 2020.
Feasibility Study News¶
Announcement of Team Selection
I am pleased to announce that Workshop Architects from Milwaukee has been selected as the consultant for the SUA Feasibility Study and will begin work this summer with the bulk of consultation occurring this fall semester. We are excited to have them on board for this project. They have a great deal of experience in student unions, including recent projects at the University of Illinois, the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin. Our selection committee was very impressed with their plan for student and staff engagement in the process. Below is more information on Workshop Architects and their team.
For over two decades, Workshop Architects has partnered with universities in the Big Ten, Big 12, and around the country to create inclusive and engaging student life environments. Their planning and design of student centers for UW-Madison, University of Michigan, and University of Notre Dame, among other leading institutions, has received national recognition and many awards. Their commitment to inclusive placemaking and collaborative social research, combined with creative design and planning insight, yields innovative solutions that are rooted in the communities they serve and reflect their highest aspirations. Workshop will work alongside several key consulting firms for this effort: foodservice experts Envision Strategies, real estate and hospitality planners Johnson Consulting, and communication technologists SM&W.
The full team and bios are included here.
I am pleased to announce that Workshop Architects from Milwaukee has been selected as the consultant for the SUA Feasibility Study and will begin work this summer with the bulk of consultation occurring this fall semester. We are excited to have them on board for this project. They have a great deal of experience in student unions, including recent projects at the University of Illinois, the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin. Our selection committee was very impressed with their plan for student and staff engagement in the process. Below is more information on Workshop Architects and their team.
For over two decades, Workshop Architects has partnered with universities in the Big Ten, Big 12, and around the country to create inclusive and engaging student life environments. Their planning and design of student centers for UW-Madison, University of Michigan, and University of Notre Dame, among other leading institutions, has received national recognition and many awards. Their commitment to inclusive placemaking and collaborative social research, combined with creative design and planning insight, yields innovative solutions that are rooted in the communities they serve and reflect their highest aspirations. Workshop will work alongside several key consulting firms for this effort: foodservice experts Envision Strategies, real estate and hospitality planners Johnson Consulting, and communication technologists SM&W.
The full team and bios are included here.