To the Editor:
In order to provide students with accurate information about space on campus, I would like to clarify some of the information contained in the page-one article in the Dartmouth regarding North Fairbanks Hall ("Provost rejects N. Fairbanks plans," Oct. 24). Significant time and effort was spent by staff in the offices of the Provost and the Dean of the College to evaluate the basement level of North Fairbanks for possible use as student social space. However, the building has such great infrastructure, ventilation, accessibility and egress issues that it would have cost many hundreds of thousands of dollars to make the basement level space usable as a student activity space. In the final analysis both the Provost and the Dean agreed that any available resources would be better spent to address student needs in other locations.
The article contained information about the current and planned use of space in North Fairbanks Hall that was incorrect. Most of the space in North Fairbanks is currently occupied or in the process of being occupied by academic programs, computing services and administrative offices. Approximately 15 percent of the space will remain unoccupied until plans for renovations in Collis, McNutt, Blunt and other buildings near the center of campus are clarified. The current budget constraints on campus have caused us to reconsider all of the projects we are undertaking. It certainly is not our intention to leave space in a central campus location vacant.
