ASUCLA rethinks renovation plans
Associated Students of UCLA may need to redraw its plan to revamp on-campus food service locations due to a potential shortfall of students who will be enrolled at the university in the next five years.
ASUCLA is anticipating an income loss due to a preliminary projected campus enrollment that shows 2,000 fewer students than the original five-year planned figures.
“The Food Services Master Plan as written is no longer a viable plan,” said Bob Williams, interim executive director of the association.
The plan aims to improve the quality, variety and structure of various food facilities on campus.
Because of the expected decrease in student enrollment, there may not be enough customers to make up for the construction and operation costs of these food locations, he said.
“Conditions have changed so much in the last year and a half that I believe we should rethink the whole plan,” Williams said.
In addition to possible enrollment shortfall, the opening of new residence halls may cause a loss to the customer base of ASUCLA food facilities as more residents go on mandatory meal plans, said student union Director Jerry Mann. The association was expecting an increase in student enrollment to offset this change, he said.
Members of the services and enterprises committee members which met Jan. 16 are exploring options that would allow the association to continue necessary renovations of on-campus facilities while rescaling the plan to match lower enrollment figures.
The new Food Services Master Plan will need to be a five-year plan that goes along with the forecast of the state budget, Williams said.
Committee members discussed the possibility of closing down certain food locations while stretching out the construction time for others to allow more time for the association to explore additional funding resources.
Williams added that planned construction of a casual dining space that serves alcohol may need to be put on hold while ASUCLA concentrates on renovating antiquated facilities at the Bombshelter food facility, located in South Campus.
ASUCLA has also received a high preliminary construction estimate for renovation at Campus Corner – where Taco Bell is located – partly because the current structure is built attached to a historic wall of the Men’s Gym.
In addition, the original budget plan was drawn up on the condition that there would be increases in student enrollment at the university.
Any construction plan for Campus Corner also depends on whether Taco Bell will remain on campus. The status of the popular eatery is still on hold while ASUCLA waits for a report – to be submitted to the association by April 30 – on labor conditions in Immokalee, Fla., where the restaurant purchases some of its tomatoes.
Despite potential budget constraints and enrollment shortfalls, association members said they remain committed to improving services on campus.
“ASUCLA still has the responsibility to provide campus residents with first-rate facilities regardless of problems with enrollment counts,” said Dria Fearn, chair of the services and enterprises committee.
Committee members are looking to integrate the Food Services Master Plan with the Student Union Strategic Initiative – a plan that involves creating more space for student groups and installing computer terminals at various locations on campus, she said.
Fearn, who is also an undergraduate representative to the association’s board of the directors, added that both plans envision major improvements in student services and facilities. Such renovations likely would mean an increase in the student union fee, currently set at $7.50 per student.
“Students can get so much benefit from the little additional amount that each person chips in,” she said.



