GSA Lounge

Letter to all graduate students. May 3rd, 2006.

We are pleased to announce the New GSA Lounge. This is a big deal, and kudos to Cristina Hofmann and Jenni Greeson for emphasizing the needs of graduate students and securing this space for us. GSA will be taking over some of the space currently allocated for Career Services on the second floor of the RMC after they move to the old President's house (please see attached architecture). It is expected that this lounge will be open this coming Fall.

We need your help! There are limited funds being allocated by the administration (exact amount is unknown at this time) for all remodeling and some furnishing that will be needed on that entire floor. The GSA lounge will not be alone... at least two other groups will occupy the remaining space on that floor.

On Tuesday's Reps meeting, we formed a Furnishing Committee who will work with F&E to choose the style, types, and amounts of furniture we would like to request they purchase for us. If you would like to participate in this committee, please contact Cristina Hofmann (chofmann@rice.edu) asap because the first committee meeting will be early next week.

Preliminary estimates (as discussed at previous reps meetings) include ~500 sq. ft. for couches and a TV, ~300 sq. ft. for tables and chairs, ~200 sq. ft. for foosball/ping pong. The committee is charged with designing the layout of the lounge and making a formal furniture request to F&E and the GSA Reps at our next reps meeting on May 16th, 2006.

Also, a reminder that all GSA reps meetings are open to all graduate students (with free food!). Our next reps meeting is on May 16th @ 6 pm, in the Miner Lounge. A schedule of the dates and times of the remaining meetings for the year is posted on the GSA bulletin board in the RMC, and updated periodically on our website.

Some additional details:

We have made clear that this space needs to be 24-hr access, with access only to graduate students (card reader).

How did we arrive at 963 sq. ft. for the lounge?
We had to do a considerable amount of bargaining to get a GSA lounge as large as it is in such a prime location (i.e. in the student center). Given the space constraints, we envisioned a space that ~50 graduate students could utilize at any given time.
Why is there a GSA office in that schematic when we already have a GSA office on the other side of the RMC?
We are to lose the current GSA office due to the redesign of the RMC. We are therefore being given a slightly smaller office adjacent to the new lounge.
Why is there a section of the wall shown in black?
The black wall indicates a new wall that will be built (it is getting pushed back) to maximize the lounge space.
Will the Furnishing Committee also furnish the new GSA Office location?
No. The new location of the GSA Office will be furnished by the old furniture in the current/old GSA Office. No university funds need to be spent on this GSA Office, leaving the maximum amount of money for the lounge.
Why is there vinyl composite tile in the GSA lounge while the office gets carpet?
Several walls are being torn down to maximize the lounge space, which necessarily ruins the carpeting in that space. The space where the GSA office will be located will be shrunken by moving a wall back (the carpeting may thus be preserved). While it is technically possible to put down carpeting in the new GSA lounge, it is probably in the best interests of the lounge to leave it as tile in case of spills and for general rec-center-style uses. We have a few options, though, including the possibility of having some throw rugs in the lounge. This, however, is all up for debate and discussion by the Furnishing Committee. If you have an opinion about it, please join the committee!

We look forward to opening this lounge in the Fall, as well as having events and reps meetings there. Thank you.

Regards,

Jordan
GSA President