Early on Thursday afternoon, an email was issued to all Bloomsburg University students detailing the results of the new student union building referendum. With only 1,167 out of nearly 10,000 students voting, the results show that a majority are in favor of a new student union but do not want to reinstate the Student Union Building Fee.
The email was issued by Dione Somerville, the Vice President for Student Affairs.
“There are no immediate plans to move forward with a new student union”, said Somerville, “University leadership and the Council of Trustees will continue to explore how to address the student needs recognized in the Campus Engagement Survey.”
Also included in the email was a chart detailing the specific results of the survey in addition to the two questions asked.
- Shall Bloomsburg University continue to pursue the creation of a new student union, anticipated completion during the 2024-2025 academic year, to meet the functions and services identified through a series of surveys and plans?
- Shall the University reinstate the Student Union Building Fee at a rate of $40/semester effective the 2017-2018 academic year, then increase the Student Union Building Fee to $80/semester effective the 2020-2021 academic year?
| Question | Yes or No | Number | Percentage |
| Question 1- New Union | Yes | 743 | 63.67%
|
| Question 1- New Union | No | 424 | 36.33% |
| Question 1- Total | 1167 | ||
| Question 2-restore fee | Yes | 538 | 43.10% |
| Question 2-restore fee | No | 629 | 53.90% |
| Question 2- Total | 1167 |
The new student union modern layout would host a number of student resources including:
- Large social lounge with coffee shop
- Study spaces
- Large computer lab
- Game room
- Food court
- Student organization storage, offices, and meeting rooms
- Large multipurpose rooms and ballroom
- 20-30 meeting rooms of various sizes that hold 10-50 people
- CGA and Community Activities offices
The 75 million dollar building was set to open in the 2024-2025 academic school year. As stated in the email, the plans are at this time unknown due to the results of the referendum. For developing information moving forward check out the Student Union Plan. To get an in-depth look at the digitally rendered building, take a look at the PowerPoint below.
