CEC Support Letter 5-27-09

May 27, 2009
To whom it may concern,
This is a letter of support for the Cultural Education Center Task Force’s Report. We appreciate the diligent work of the CEC Taskforce and the proposals they have suggested to satisfy the need for a CEC. We strongly agree with and support their long term vision of a “CEC formed by a cluster of three buildings: the renovated ALCC, the current Career Services, and the Ferry building. The buildings could be “knitted” together via landscaping or architectural design” (11). Given the current economic climate, however, we believe it is smartest for Hamilton to take the second recommendation of the task force and designate the Azel Backus House as an interim space and commence a capital campaign to fund a full CEC Complex.
We think that the 1st floor renovation of the ALCC is somewhat comparable to the entire Azel Backus House in that they both only satisfy the smallest most basic needs of a CEC which are as follows (and articulated on page 9 of the Task Force Report):
1. Community/ Meeting Room (interim need 50, long term need 75-100),
2. Conference Room (interim need 1-2 rooms, long term need 5-6 rooms),
3. Library with Computers, and
4. A full Kitchen (in addition to a Kosher kitchen).
Without any renovation the Azel Backus can currently satisfy the most basic of these needs while the ALCC requires significant renovations in order to do so. Further, minimal renovations to the ALCC would require some shared space with what is currently the ALCC. While the renovation would be a small addition of physical space designated for diversity issues, there would be a symbolic loss if the historic integrity of the ALCC were compromised by the creation of an interim CEC.
The Azel Backus house as an interim space would allow the large addition of physical space and would allow appropriate planning for the incorporation but not the co-optation of the ALCC into a CEC Complex.
The ALCC should be renovated to become part of a CEC Complex. It would be an inefficient use of resources and time to renovate it to satisfy our basic needs and then renovate it again to become part of the complex. This further construction would disrupt whatever use this space would serve in the interim. We suggest the college designate the Azel Backus House as the interim CEC and begin a fundraising campaign for the CEC Complex.
We have also written to the Task-Force and Acting President pointing out that a Director and Staff Person are essential for the success of a CEC. We request that these two roles be filled by the Fall of 2009. We have suggested that Janet Turvey be asked to work as the Staff Person for the CEC or split her time between the DSJP and the CEC.
Thank you,
The Social Justice Initiative
Please contact Robyn Gibson (regibson@hamilton.edu)