Issue date: 3/2/04 Section: News

After a week of Texas A&M students expressing opinions and attending open forums regarding allocation of campus space, A&M President Robert M. Gates said Monday that Hotard Hall will remain open until May 2005.

On Feb. 16, members of the Council on the Built Environment told Hotard residents that they would need to find new living arrangements for fall 2004 because it planned to convert the residence hall into office space for incoming faculty.

Gates met with members of the CBE and Hotard Hall President Shaun Shaikh Monday, and said after hearing student concerns about the lack of consultation and advance notice of the decision, that he decided to
postpone the closing.

"It seems to be the fair thing to do," Gates said. "If you are going to make changes with student living, give advance warning."

Shaikh, a freshman electrical engineering major, said he was not sure what to expect from Gates, but said that he went into the meeting prepared to express student concerns about the lack of communication between students and University administrators.

"The Resident Hall Association and the Student Senate both passed resolutions supporting Hotard," Shaikh said.

Shaikh said most residents were pleased with Gates' decision because it gave them a chance to show the administration they won't give up.

"A few people from the dorm were upset because the dorm was still closing," Shaikh said. "But a lot were happy and now we can show how indispensable we are."

Shaikh said closing the hall conflicts with the goals of Vision 2020 because it states that it wants everyone to live on campus, but if the A&M administration continues to close residence halls, that will not happen.

New residence halls will not be built on campus until 2009, Shaikh said.

"It's moving backwards," he said.

Austin Main, a sophomore mechanical engineering major and project manager of "Save Hotard," said residents effectively gained support for Hotard's campaign and said he hopes the support continues.

Main said former residents of Hotard Hall have expressed their disappointment toward the decision of closing the residence hall, and some even sent donations.

"They are behind us 100 percent," he said.

The Web site for "Save Hotard" will still be updated with news and upcoming events, Main said.

Student Body President Matt Josefy said that many times in the past the administration has listened and respected student's voices.

"This is a certain voice in the future of our campus," Josefy said.
Josefy said the CBE has been working hard to make deadline for the plans.

Gates said he knows many campus residents are attached to their residence halls, but residence halls are not intended to last forever.

"Each hall has its traditions, so did students at Bizzell Hall when it was converted," Gates said. "The fact is, residence halls have a specific life span."

Shaikh said he understands plans change, and he hopes that one day, residents can transfer to another dorm and carry on everything good about Hotard.

"It will take a lot of planning, but we hope to be successful in another year," Shaikh said.

Click here to visit a site dedicated to saving Hotard.

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