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 A Proposal for the Improvement of the Mesa Residential Property for Enhanced Social Connectivity Among Graduate Students

Introduction:

Recognizing the valuable educational role played by on-campus graduate residential facilities, this proposal suggests several cost-effective improvements to the Mesa grounds and policies that would facilitate social relations among graduate students.

The university experience is not simply a function of knowledge absorbsion or production; academic richness at a great university is acheived through the positive interactions of the scholarly community.  Much of the conceptual development of scholars takes place outside of the classroom or the laboratory, occuring as a result of spontaneous peer engagement.   Students learn from their peers in the community through informal social interaction, and the enhancement of social process is an enhancement of the overall university experience.  Beyond the academic enrichment attained through informal scholarly conversation, personal wellness and psychological health can only occur in the presence of positive social bonding opportunities.  It is for these reasons, academic and psycho-social, that the university took notice of the graduate experience survey which indicated that only 10% of graduate students "feel a sense of community."  While the mesa apartments do not house all graduate students, it can and should serve as a social hub for its residents and the academic peers of its residents.

Therefore, careful consideration has been given to mechanisms that could increase positive community interactions at the mesa apartments.  We will emphasize here architectural changes--however, several policy changes could  have substantitive impact on the graduate community housed at the mesas.

Goal: The Creation of Public Space

The mesa apartment complex is a beautifully landscaped community of separate housing units.  Unfortunately, there is very little outdoor

public space made available.  The lack of centers results in a fragmentation of the community, as there is no place to 'run into' someone, besides shuttle stops.  Notably, the only outdoor park benches are those by the playground and those by the bus stops.  We believe that a consideration of the grounds would suggest several 'centers' that could be built up with a combination of park benches and other elements.  Here we propose three improvements to the grounds that would provide new public spaces for enhancing social connectivity.

Bulletin boards:

While small bulletin boards exist by the laundry facilities, we believe that 3 larger bulletin boards placed by each shuttle stop would result

in a greater awareness of graduate oriented events.  They would also provide a point of shared attention for those waiting for the shuttle stop.  The cost of building and erecting the boards could be as low as $150 per board.

Firepits:

Given that charcoal fires are not permitted in the vicinity of mesa apartments, we propose that several firepits be dug a safe distance from dwellings.  With the addition of a few benches, these firepits could result in the formation of positive graduate student social traditions. The pits could follow fire safety procedures used in san diego parks. Additionally, the outdoor drinking policies of san diego parks could be considered for application to the Mesa grounds and noise regulations could be developed for quiet hours.  The cost of building the firepits would be primarily administrative and cannot be estimated here.  However, the physical costs should be minimal (digging a pit; placing stones; providing charcoal bin; providing upright grill for outdoor bbq; providing benches, logs, or picnic-tables), and are estimated at $800 per fire pit.

Public Seating:

By placing several new benches around the Mesa complex, students will have the opportunity to work outside in a public place where they can be seen and interact with fellow students.  Small 'centers' could be established simply through the appropriate placement of benches. Picnic benches might be useful in certain areas as well, as this would allow a space to spread out books, work on one's computer, or collaborate with a peer.  The night-lighting in the area should be considered in the placement of the benches, along with a consideration of the existing patterns of movement at the Mesas.  Heavy portable benches can be built for as little as $150 a piece to start (and distributed in various parts of Mesa to test for ideal arrangements), and would be available for eventual upgrades to more permanent structures.

Conclusion:

These three changes would have a substantitative effect on the graduate student experience by increasing the availability of public space at the Mesa Apartments.  If designed appropriately, the success of these architectural additions would be measured by their use.  With a small budget of approximately $5000, all three of these changes could be made in the Spring Quarter, especially if utilizing graduate student labor.  Administrative support is clearly crucial to this plan, and we anticipate a positive response, particularly in light of the publication of the Graduate and Professional Student Experience and Satisfaction Report in the Spring of 2007.

Medical/Health Resources:

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