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The Daily Tar Heel

All spaced out: Collaborative effort needed among students, departments and Student Union to allocate rooms

The University needs to look at alternative ways for allocating campus space for student groups to try to accommodate as many groups as possible.

Students must also be willing to make compromises in their scheduling to deal with the lack of space.

Limited campus meeting space has forced some student groups to camp out to get the space they need.

As is, rooms are divvied out on a first-come, first-served basis, which is an inefficient method for deciding who gets space.

Granted, there simply isn’t enough space for everyone to get the rooms and times they might want. But the University can do a better job.

A potential solution might be to implement a system to ensure that student groups with broader student interest take priority.

Another solution that might be implemented is a need-based system. For example, student groups who demonstrate that they do not have other options could be given priority in this system.

But although there is a lack of space, the solution also rests with the students themselves.

“There are myths perpetuated that there simply isn’t enough room to do things,” said Don Luse, director of the Carolina Union . “But there is room. It may just not be when you want.”

Student Union officials are responsible for scheduling 73 rooms across campus for more than 600 student organizations. Space is certainly limited, but it’s there.

“I can see empty rooms every night,” Luse said.

Student Union officials also have jurisdiction to include many classrooms on campus.

Groups have to go through the Student Union, rather than individual departments, to schedule space. But this has its own logistical problems.

And departments still have the final say in whether a group can use a classroom in its building.

Departments should be as flexible as possible in light of the overwhelming demand for campus space for student groups.

And the Student Union needs to work for a more efficient allocation mechanism, such as giving priority to student groups that require significant space and groups with broad student interest.

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