Students Upset by “Necessary” Parker Microlab Closures

Students Upset by “Necessary” Parker Microlab Closures

As NSU continues to grow and the undergraduate population increases, more classroom and office space are required in the Parker Building. The area modified to accommodate the new rooms contained the first floor microlabs. Relied on heavily by students due to their convenient location near the classrooms, these labs were used to complete homework and print documents between classes. Many students felt that administration’s decision to remove the labs was detrimental to their academic experience since they would have to travel to other lab locations to complete their work, such as the crowded Alvin-Sherman Library labs that are shared with Broward County residents. Both student and administration concerns, including those of Dean Don Rosenblum, are examined. Since a considerable amount of computers were moved from the labs prior to their conversion into classrooms, those machines’ status and current location are questioned. This article presents an example of how an expanding university must prioritize its resources but also how these decisions affect the student body. Following the publication of this article in NSU’s The Knight newspaper (since renamed The Current), a single print station was installed in the Parker lobby.