Extended operating hours and security at the current art building, Art Park West, are the two main changes resulting from a Fine Arts forum last Tuesday designed to discuss concerns art, theater and music students had because of renovation and construction of facilities for the three departments.

Students met with James Johnson, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities; Jeffrey Lynch, associate dean of the College of Arts and Humanities; John Oertling, chair of the theater arts department and Roger Stoner, chair of the music department.

Oertling said the forum was composed of 95 percent art major students, so extending the hours of Art Park West was a main focus.

In the past, the studios housed in the Doudna Fine Arts Center were

SEE ART PARK u Page 7

accessible 24 hours a day with a night pass, but currently the center is closed for renovation and expansion.

Art Park West currently closes weekdays at 10:30 p.m., Friday’s at 5 p.m. and the building is not open at all Saturday. At the forum last week Johnson said there are already plans to keep the building open about 10 extra hours a week. Oertling said the solution to extend the hours was proposed by administration before the forum, but the talks were beneficial and another forum likely won’t be necessary until next semester.

“This semester is very different for all of the arts,” he said. “I think open communication is the only way to solve these problems that exist.”

He said the theater area, now housed in the former IGA building, is not an issue even with late construction, especially since the first theater production is not until November.

The theater area does not have to be as accessible as the art classrooms, and theater students were not as drawn to the forum.

“We are working internally to solve our problems,” Oertling said.

Casey Carroll, student dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, said the need for extended studio hours was made more necessary because some the Art Park West classrooms were not ready for use until the fourth week of the semester.

Johnson and administration said there were security concerns because the site, at the former Booth West on Lincoln Avenue, is so far from campus.

“Where these buildings were off campus, they don’t want people being out their too late,” Carroll said.

A system similar to the card security device in place at Lantz Arena will likely be added for extra security next spring, said Glenn Hild, chair of the art department.

The system was suggested at the forum, but Hild said it cannot be implemented with the current door structure at Art Park West.

He said a desk attendant is there for security, but there could be more of a risk with an added 13 to 15 extra hours spread out over the week, including hours of noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

Hild said the hours will likely be in place next Monday, but desk workers have to alter schedules and the shuttle bus schedule is set now to take students home safely when the building closes at 10:30 p.m.

“I got the schedule, so hopefully the students who have access to the building now have a safe access back to campus,” he said.