University of Utah Student Newspapers--The Chronicle | 2015-01-26 | Page 3

CHANGING NAMES REFLECTS A CHANGING CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AT THE LT BY KYLEE EHMANN /STAFF WRITER PHOTO BY KIFFER CREVELING he street formerly known as Bailiff Road has been renamed Student Life Way. The road begins at Wasatch Drive, runs between the Student Life Center and the McCarthey Track and Field Complex, past the HPER Complex and ends near the Carolyn Tanner Irish Humanities Building. The previous name originated from Bailiff Hall, a residence hall that no longer exists. Lori McDonald, the dean of students in Student Affairs, petitioned for the alteration to reflect the U's changing campus. Michael Perez, associate vice president for Facilities Management, said the street was renamed to make it relevant to students by relating it to the new Student Life Center. Perez said the change is important to the student-centered nature of its route. The transformation of the HPER Mall, the Student Life Center and the in-construction Lassonde Studios lead members of the U to "anticipate and fully expect that this will now be a new spine full of student engagement': Perez said. "Student Life Way better describes what we really expect to be a really exciting and really engaging student corridor': Perez said. Perez clarified the modification was unrelated to the naming of Commonwealth Avenue, the name given to the walkway that runs north across campus, starting at the UMFA. However, Perez said the changes share the same goal to help students and visitors better navigate the U. This is not the only plan to make the school more navigable. Perez said a shuttle-only street will travel between Milton Bennion Hall and the Sorenson Arts and Education building, go past the Tanner Irish Building, connect to Central Campus Drive and end near the Warnock Engineering Building. This route will be for the U's electric shuttle. Perez said the route, funded through university and federal funds, will hopefully be completed before Fall 2016. Shireen Ghorbani, spokesperson for the U's Facilities Management, said they offer a mapping service with data from new maps and a mobile routing map for on-foot navigation of campus. The map only works T PERMIT REQUIRED NON.-141.7a,Rrhi SIff when the person using it is on campus, but Ghorbani said Facilities Management is always open to feedback on improving their services. Ghorbani said changes like the new street sign and the electric shuttle are part of "the institutional responsibility to help people navigate around the space." Marina Neofitos, an undeclared freshman, said she wouldn't notice anything as small as a street sign change. However, Neofitos said she is excited for the electric shuttle's new route. "I would use them for winter times when no one wants to be walking on campus': Neofitos said. "This kind of stuff is way more important than renaming street names:' Before these larger changes are put into effect, the U is starting to simplify its campus in smaller ways that, Perez said, "didn't cost us anything other than a new street sign:' [e-mail] @Ehmannky NEW MODELWILL PROVIDE INCENTIVES IN EDUCATION BY CAROLYN WEBBER /STAFF WRITER ntice a kid with some candy, and he may do his homework. Entice a university with funding, and every student will. Regents from The Utah System of Higher Education gathered on Friday to discuss a panel of stories, including a new funding model project. The performance-based funding model provides an incentive for universities to meet goals and therefore receive further funding, said Melanie Heath, director of communications for the USHE. "They are funded based on the percentage of the goal that they complete each year. If they only make 50 percent of their goal, they will only be funded 50 percent of their allocation': she said. The new proposal, on its way to Capitol Hill to pass legislation, would provide $5 million to be E distributed as universities meet benchmark goals similar to universities from across the nation. "Rather than giving them money up front, we are rewarding them for progress," Heath said. President David Pershing, along with President Charles Wight of Weber State University and President Scott Wyatt of Southern Utah University, helped develop the proposition, and they are excited to see it put into action. "The idea is to give us funding to be able to help departments in their strategic growth," Pershing said. "In some cases it would be adding faculty, in other cases it might be helping with new student programs:' Pershing hopes the initiatives will drive the university as a whole to do better. "I think it will encourage the administration and 4 { THECHRONY I NEWS I OPINION I ARTS I SPORTS I MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015 the faculty to try to move toward best practices': Pershing said. Utah institutions have been running on a small scale version of the plan since 2013, when the performance metrics were set. Metrics are partly decided by the board and partly chosen by the president of each institution. David Buhler, commissioner of Higher Education, presented the model to the board and the public on Friday, explaining how performance would be measured. Completion, affordability and access are the set metrics, while retention of different student groups and other measurable statistics are optional metrics, Buhler said. This model is seen nation-wide, and Utah will be using national statistics to measure their success. } "The objective in the model is to have institutions become the best-in-class': Buhler said. "We are defining this by being in the top third of their peers:' Heath clarified that the goals are set and revised every three years. As peer institutions get better, they expect USHE schools to get better, Heath said. The performance-based funding would provide only a part of each institution's budget. If an institution meets 100 percent of their goals, their funds become on-going to support them at that level each year, Heath said. Other issues such as retention, completion and new initiatives for Utah institutions, including construction projects, were also addressed at the meeting. [e-mail] @carolyn_webber Ray &Tye Noorda Oral Health & Sciences Building George S. Eccles Student Life Center law Rio Tinto Kennecott Mechanical Engineering Building Renovation Completion Date: May 2015 0111117'; ' ill 1111Orii i 1 II iI i 1 1 ii i 1 1 ! r Northwest Parking Garage Completion Date: Summer 2015 in. iii .., =_ II — • --m= 11111illi 1, Ill lit --! 1 viiil 1 S.J. Quinney College of Law Completion Date: Late Summer 2015 Business Loop Parking Garage Completion Date: Summer 2015 Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Training Center Completion Date: Summer 2015 Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute Completion Date: Fall 2016 The University Mobile Routing App shows you the most efficient ways around campus! Visit: facilities.utah.edu!