Science faculty regains study space in Science B

By Scott Strasser, October 18 2016 —

After 21 months of occupation by engineering tutorials, two study spaces in the hallway connecting Science B and Earth Sciences once again belong to science students. 

The Faculty of Science gave the two spaces to the Schulich School of Engineering in February 2015 due to ongoing renovations of the University of Calgary’s engineering complex.

Before they were given to engineering, the spaces were upgraded with new chairs, tables and glass partitions separating them from the hallway.

Some science students reported being encouraged by the spaces’ upgrades in 2015, until they realized they were made to accommodate engineering students.

“[Science students] weren’t very happy about it,” Students’ Union science representative Zach Risdon said. “The general feel of it was ‘why do we have to give our space to engineering students’?”

While the spaces were occupied by engineering, the Devon Academic Resource Centre hosted tutoring sessions there.

“If you set foot in the space, the tutors from the Devon Resource Centre would tell you to get out. They’d say you couldn’t be in there. It was a little frustrating for science students,” Risdon said.

Now that they have the spaces back, the Faculty of Science will decide what to do with them. Risdon said if the glass partitions remain, the faculty could set up a booking system similar to those used in the Taylor Family Digital Library or the EEEL building. They could also remain as open study spaces.

“We still have those two glass partitions that are there to isolate noise. We’re trying to decide if we should keep those two, keep one or get rid of them both and have it as open study spaces,” Risdon said.

Renovations to the U of C’s engineering complex are still ongoing, but much of the building is now accessible. The complex, which will be named the Canadian Natural Resources Limited Engineering Complex, will officially open next month. The building has been undergoing renovations since 2014.

Devon Academic Resource Centre tutoring sessions now take place in Engineering G 207.