By: Lian Bunny
News Editor
By closing the second, third and fourth floors of Francis Hall, St. Bonaventure University will save approximately $105,000, according to Richard Trietley, vice president of student affairs.
Trietley said about a third of the money will be reallocated for residence life to use the money in other residence halls.
It will be used for expenses such as paying residence assistants and funding floor programs. A residence assistant gets paid $6,200 a year.
The printing lab in Francis will be relocated, according to Trietley.
He said it will most likely be moved to Devereux Hall, based on an online student survey conducted by Michael Hoffman, associate provost and chief information officer.
However, the café in Francis will stay open and keep its regular hours of operation, Trietley said.
“It was based on the fact that so many of our students use it,” Trietley said. “I see that being a tremendous benefit to our eastside students at the Townhouses and the Garden Apartments, and I know a number of students [on the west side of campus] go there just to get a different variety or a different atmosphere.”
Trietley also said suggestions to rent out the rooms in Francis could be a possibility in the future. Bonaventure would have to do a cost-benefit analysis, according to Trietley.
If the events management staff uses Francis for a huge event, where the rooms are all full for two or three days, then it would probably be cost effective to open Francis.
If one alum is passing through on a trip, opening Francis would not be cost effective, Trietley said.
According to Trietley, Bonaventure currently rents rooms to alumni when they come for Alumni Weekend in June.
The university opens up Shay Hall and the Townhouses. Future events such as this could lead Bonaventure to open the rooms in Francis, he said.
“We’re excited about this because I’m very optimistic the enrollment trend is going to turn,” Trietley said. “If it does and we potentially make the decision to reopen Francis, I think this gives us a golden opportunity to really be able to address some renovations that need to be made in Francis before we put students back in it, like for instance the bathrooms. Before we put students back in there, I would love to see those renovated.”
Trietley said St. Bonaventure cabinet members would work together to decide to reopen Francis.
According to Trietley, the university is working to expand the international student market, focusing on Brazil.
Trietley said many Brazilians are Catholic and want to go to college, but have limited opportunities.
He also said the university would like to enlarge club sports, since many high school students may want to continue to compete, but are not looking to join a Division I athletics team.
Bonaventure enrollment for the 2014-2015 academic year decreased about three percent from the previous year, from 1,837 undergraduate students to 1,784.
Enrollment decreased almost 20 percent from 10 years ago, when Bonaventure had 2,218 undergraduates.
According to Trietley, Bonaventure had 363 open beds on campus in the spring of 2015, nearly 100 more open beds than the university had in the spring of 2012.
Trietley said the number of open beds would be higher if the university did not renovate Robinson Hall and Falconio Hall.
Bonaventure lost about 25 rooms in the process due to added longue spaces, computer labs and bathrooms.
Trietley said he is still optimistic about the closing of Francis dorms.
“Sometimes, it’s better to have the opportunity that’s presented by not having people living [in Francis] to really imagine the future of the building,” Trietley said.
