It may have been a slower term, but the Wilfrid Laurier University’s Student Life Levy has approved funding for 12 projects on the Waterloo campus and eight in Brantford, including eight multi-campus projects.
Waterloo received a total of 20 applications while Brantford received 16. For their March term, the Student Life Levy’s total amount for both Waterloo and multi-campus projects came out to $931,785.27. The biggest project, the Athletics Complex bleacher replacement, was funded for $750,000.
“The bleachers benefit everyone because they’re used during O-Week, sporting games,” said Colin Aitchison, chair of the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union board of directors and chief governance officer.
According to the project summary, the bleachers are showing major signs of breaking down.
The seating areas in the AC require more repairs and structures every year to keep the bleachers functional.
The second biggest project is to re-examine study space in the Turret, which received $40,000. The funds will go towards compensating the successful design firm in creating a new space for students.
After the design is approved and finalized, the project will look for financing to proceed with their construction phase, hopefully starting in the summer of 2017.
“We’re funding the first phase of where we’re going to come up with proposals and see how much it’s going to cost,” said Aitchison.
Other approved projects on the Waterloo campus include the Golden Hawk Lounge furniture and technology enhancement, which received a funding total of $22,700.
The project will replace existing furniture and technology in the Golden Hawk Lounge of the Athletic Complex to improve the space for students and athletes.
Waterloo’s “Game Ready” system, funded for $5,526.27, is a cold therapy system that will enhance injury treatments and post-operative recovery for Laurier’s student-athletes.
Other funded projects in Waterloo include a trip to Ottawa for the department of political science’s 50th anniversary, an eco-container relaunch from Campus Sustainability and a language theatre night.
“[The project’s] benefits everyone, but each project benefits like a specific group of people this term,” said Aitchison.
According to Aitchison, the Students’ Union, as well as chair-elect, Nick DeSumma, are hoping to push more marketing to promote Student Life Levy.
“Normally it’s mainly just faculty members trying to get stuff [from SLL],” said Aitchison.
“I would definitely encourage my successor to market it better next time around.”
In addition to this term, the Student Life Committee has also approved a subcommittee to look at multi-campus proposals.
“We created a subcommittee to look at those proposals just to make sure that it’s completely fair and then that committee has members from both committees on it.”
