The College of Arts and Sciences is moving forward with plans to transform Ashe room 112 into a student lounge.
The project has been in the works for about two years, according to Emily Long, the assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. The project was temporarily paused while Cane Navigator offices were moved into the Ashe Administrative Building in Ashe 140 and the University Center in UC 2275.
According to Long, Ashe room 140 functions as a Cane Navigator office and a student lounge. Designed with student input and the university design team, it hosts regularly scheduled events and casual student gatherings.
Despite the intention of having Ashe room 140 serve as a student space, some CAS students said they were unaware Ashe 140 was intended for anything beyond advising purposes, or that it existed at all.
“It doesn’t feel like a student lounge to me because it’s far from Merrick and Dooly, which is where most of [my CAS] classes are,” freshman and political science major Mia Vargas said. “I thought it was a classroom.”
Long said student feedback has played a role in shaping plans for the Ashe 112 renovation. Details about the final design and construction timeline will be shared by central University Communications.
Students expressed positive reactions to the idea of a new CAS student space and that it could encourage them to spend more time in CAS buildings between classes.
“I would go there if it’s a good place to study or get resources for contacting tutors,” Vargas said.
Madison McDonald, a sophomore majoring in Neuroscience and Biochemistry and Nutrition, says most of her classes are in the Cox Science Building and Whitten Learning Center, where there is typically unavailable seating. She looks forward to the development of a new student lounge.
“I think the seating in the bottom area of Cox is nice, but if you go to the second or third floor there’s usually no seating,” McDonald said. “I do think there need to be more student spaces on that side of campus.”