Board of Governors to meet at UCF

Books will be stored in bins from floor to ceiling, and when someone requests a book, the Automated Retrieval System will locate the book and have it ready for the Library patron to pick up within seven to 10 minutes at a designated retrieval point, Scharf said. She said the system is used at academic institutions across the U.S.

Renovations would also be made to existing parts of the Library to allow for more space and seating, a 24-hour study space would be added and a second entrance is planned for the side of the building facing the Student Union.

The CITF is currently $2.44 per credit hour for all UCF students and is used for building construction and repair, according to UCF’s Office of Institutional Research’s website.

The CITF combined with the building fee, which is currently $2.32 per credit hour, are projected to increase by $2 for the next few years, according to the university work plan. By the 2015-2016 academic year the combined fee could be up to $10.33. 

The CITF hasn’t been increased since 1989, Ehasz said. She said prior to the decision to ask for the increase, a committee of UCF faculty and students was created to discuss the potential change.

“This discussion about increasing the capital improvement fee has been going on for several years, and it seems to me that it does take some time for changes like this to occur in our legislative process, and so this year there was agreement to move forward,” Ehasz said.

Whatley said that the majority of students on the committee saw the project as a beneficial long-term investment.

“Every year since I’ve been here, students have always asked for a 24-hour Library or some enhancement to the Library, and this was an opportunity for us to finally be able to deliver that to students, something that wouldn’t otherwise be seen,” he said.

Ehasz said that in the past, CITF dollars have gone toward the Career Services Experiental Learning building, the expansion of the Recreation and Wellness Center, expansions to the Student Union and the renovation of Lake Claire. She also said that there are plans to build a Student Union II in another area of campus sometime in the future.

The committee discussion and vote on UCF’s work plan is scheduled to take place from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday. It will then be discussed and voted on by the full Board of Governors on Thursday. A live blog of the meeting will be available at CentralFloridaFuture.com.