Senior Class Gift Information
Preface to the Senior Class Gift:
In 2011, the student body voted to levy a $20 fee, as a part of graduation fees, on Seniors. This fee, designated to be used to aid in the beautifaction of campus, requires the University's administration and SGA to bring a list of beautification projects to the Senior class so that they may choose their Senior Gift.
Read the Resolution here.
In Fall 2019, the Senior class voted on Engage to fund the projects in the following order:
1. Water Garden
2. Trees
3. Pavilion and Kitchen at the Alumni Center
4. Ring Statue
Funds from the SGA Senior Class Gift fund will be dispersed according to the above vote until the account is emptied again.
Pavilion and Kitchen at the Alumni Center:
The Alumni Center is the campus home for alumni and for the Alumni Association. Both the Association and the University host many events in this space throughout the year. The various departments of the University and student organizations are also able to reserve the Alumni Center for various events free of charge during office hours. The Alumni Association also rents the facility and uses this income for facility repair, maintenance and any improvements.
Proposed project and cost:
The Alumni Association would like to add an additional building to the Alumni grounds that will serve as a food holding a prep area as well as an additional restroom and pavilion. These improvements to the facility would allow the Alumni Association to accommodate larger crowds for alumni, University, and student events. The cost of the building would be approximately $360,000.
Should this project be approved for class project funding, the Alumni Association would fundraise for the expenses not covered by the gift.
Artist sketches:
*Subject to change
Planting Trees around campus:
A gift to the Arbor Day Fund would allow for planting of additional trees on campus. Trees are ~$100 each. A specific class gift contribution could go towards funding not only trees, but the ‘Trees for 3’s’ initiative piloted last Spring where a tree is planted for every 3-pointer scored by the Mens’ and Womens’ basketball teams. The teams together average about 160 3-pointers during regular season games. A gift of $16,000 would allow 160 trees to be planted on campus and cover another full season of Trees for 3’s. Funding upwards of 16k would allow for even more trees to be planted! An additional ~$1000 would be needed for engraved signs to affix to the trees, designating them as part of the class gift.
Trees for 3’s trees were planted in 2019 during The Big Event. This could be done again to engage more students in this class gift process.
Ring Statue:
Funds would be used to create a statue of the Louisiana Ring to be placed in Front of the Alma Mater verbiage in the Student Union. The statue would look like the following rendering:
Water garden:
Funds would be used to fund a project outlined in the Campus's Green Infrastructure Master Plan -specifically, a large scale rain garden project along Hebrard Blvd that would dramatically reduce the amount of standing water after rain events. Funding for a portion of this project is currently available through the Campus as a Living Lab fund and prize money from the 2018 EPA Rainworks Challenge. With additional class gift funding the University would be able to expand and complete the plan for Hebrard Blvd and allow the University to submit for an award in the EPA Rainworks Challenge demonstration project category.
The extension of the current approved project would allow for green infrastructure implementation to extend from St. Mary to Saucier Wellness Center. The design will include street trees to shade the high-traffic sidewalk, seating, and a rain garden that is better able to mitigate flash flooding. These green infrastructure projects solve many problems with integrated solutions. This project will beautify campus, reduce flooding on campus, reduce our impacts on the communities downstream, provide shade, improve the water quality of any runoff that does make it to the stormwater system, and recharge the Chicot Aquifer. Overall, it would be a great improvement to the streetscape and create a much more pleasant pedestrian experience.
Design images for current approved project that would be extended with additional class gift funding:
