[bouldercouncilhotline] Hotline: University of Minnesota

[cmosupport at bouldercolorado.gov]

Sender: Morzel, Lisa

Colleagues,

As some know, I've been working this spring on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis. 
Two observations I've made while being there are:
1) the University of Minnesota has a beautiful campus although it is somewhat dense (denser than CU).  It has beautiful tree-lined walkways w adjacent smaller grassy areas and lots of places for students and staff to relax, read, visit.  It also has beautiful historic buildings throughout the campus. 
2) at the same time, I noticed (at least the areas I have walked through) a complete absence of surface parking lots.  Ample parking is on campus but as structured and underground parking. 

The result is a beautiful and active campus that also seems very safe as opposed to walking past open areas of surface parking especially in the early mornings/late evenings. 

With respect to CU, I am happy to see the construction of the new building directly to the east of the UMC and on top of a surface and 1-sub story parking structure. I hope CU will continue to infill its main campus replacing the many surface parking lots on campus, especially those by the Fiske auditorium, Duane Physics and Economic studies building to help satisfy its desire and need for more academic buildings. 

Finally, a week ago Friday, I had the pleasure of dining with the former long-time chair of the geology department who said the the University of Minnesota used to be one of the largest, if not the largest, university in the US with more than 50,000 students. At some point years ago, the University made the conscious decision to reduce its student population by 20,000, and now has a 30,000 student population.  I asked why they did that.  He responded that the University thought and believes it is producing a much better product.

Just some thoughts


Lisa

303-815-6723

"We interact with one another as individuals responding to a complex haze of factors: professional responsibilities, personal likes and dislikes, ambition, jealousy, self-interest, and, in at least some instances, genuine altruism.  Living in the here and now, we are awash with sensations of the present, memories of the past, and expectations and fears for the future. Our actions are not determined by any one cause; they are the fulfillment of who we are at that particular moment.  After that moment passes, we continue to evolve, to change, and our memories of that moment inevitably change with us as we live with the consequences of our past actions, consequences we were unaware of at the time." The Last Stand, Nathaniel Philbrick