MU moves ahead on new Engineering building

[Wareagle]

http://www.jsonline.com/business/61229337.html

Groundbreaking will occur in the spring.  MU has $68 of the $100 million for the first building already raised, and aim to occupy that building by August 2011.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Is this going on top of the existing building?  Next to it?  Trying to understand where this building will sit in relation to OLIN Engineering and the existing building that was there when I was a student.

Thanks

[IAmMarquette]

Is this going on top of the existing building?  Next to it?  Trying to understand where this building will sit in relation to OLIN Engineering and the existing building that was there when I was a student.

Thanks

Across 16th from Olin, kitty-corner (or caddy-corner, depending on where you're from) from McCormick. They've got to knock down all of those old apartment buildings first.

[Wareagle]

Is this going on top of the existing building?  Next to it?  Trying to understand where this building will sit in relation to OLIN Engineering and the existing building that was there when I was a student.

Thanks

The first building is being built at the corner of Wisconsin Ave. and 16th St., at the southwest corner of the intersection.  Basically across Wisconsin Ave. from Walgreens.  Evidently, the second connected building will be the one on Wisconsin and 17th St, west of the 1st building.  Right now there is a surface parking lot on the site of the 1st building.  From what I can tell, it will extend from Wisconsin Ave. to the north end of the Rec Center.

The best complete array of drawings and plans I know of are in this file.

http://www.marquette.edu/architect/documents/EngineeringPortfolio_091008.pdf

IAM MU, raises a good point, I don't know if they will have to knock down the old brick apartments first or if the footprint of the first building under construction is just on the parking lot.

[ChicosBailBonds]

OK, so basically next to the Rec Center?  They'll knock down the old Monitor Hall (is that still there?) along with a few other places over there.

Thanks

[GGGG]

What are they going to do with the old engineering buildings...Hegarty and Olin?  Will they be razed at some point?

[Wareagle]

OK, so basically next to the Rec Center?  They'll knock down the old Monitor Hall (is that still there?) along with a few other places over there.

Thanks

Pretty sure Monitor hall isn't there.  And yep, next to the rec center (on the north side).

[muwarrior87]

I know there was discussion of giving some of the departments that have classes scattered everywhere, phil, theo, etc., would get office space there and class space there.  I think that Coughlin Hall is eventually getting torn down. That's what I've heard anyway from some individuals who have a little insight on the topic.

[GGGG]

Interesting.

I wonder what Patrick Haggerty would think about having the building he donated being used for Philosophy and Theology.

http://www.ti.com/corp/docs/company/history/haggerty.shtml

My guess is that he wouldn't care...

[🏀]

Great looking building that is going to really bolster the engineering program, that is generally very underrated outside of Wisconsin/Illinois.

The labs and other facilities were really holding the program back.

[mu_hilltopper]

Well, isn't this just super.  Another zillion dollar building, keeping Marquette competitive with other schools who have zillion dollar buildings. 

Wake me up when tuition is $80k per year (in 15 short years) and no one can afford to study in those zillion dollar buildings.

[GGGG]

Yeah...arms races in higher education aren't limited to athletic facilities.  Most college campuses today look nothing like the ones I visited 20 years ago when I was looking for a school.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Well, isn't this just super.  Another zillion dollar building, keeping Marquette competitive with other schools who have zillion dollar buildings. 

Wake me up when tuition is $80k per year (in 15 short years) and no one can afford to study in those zillion dollar buildings.

I completely agree. I mean, I know why MU is trying to keep up, but all private schools could be in for a rude awakening in 10-20 years.

Private education and even out-of-state public education just might not be affordable anymore.

I love MU, but it'll be tough to justify the cost of the education and experience in 10 years when it's almost 10 times the cost of a public university (think Lacrosse or Eau Claire vs. MU).

[GGGG]

You are assuming that public higher education costs will remain relatively constant.  In state tuition for a place like Eau Claire and La Crosse has more than doubled in the past 15 years.  That doesn't even include student fees, which are rapidly becoming the funding mechanism for non-academic buildings in Wisconsin.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Well, isn't this just super.  Another zillion dollar building, keeping Marquette competitive with other schools who have zillion dollar buildings. 

Wake me up when tuition is $80k per year (in 15 short years) and no one can afford to study in those zillion dollar buildings.

You should drive through UW Madison's campus.  I tease older alums from there about what they go back and visit, there's nothing there that's not new.  Plus, they put up signs boasting about how no tuition or student fees funded the buildings.  No crap, sherlock, our damn taxes do.   

[TJ]

Well, isn't this just super.  Another zillion dollar building, keeping Marquette competitive with other schools who have zillion dollar buildings. 

Wake me up when tuition is $80k per year (in 15 short years) and no one can afford to study in those zillion dollar buildings.

No kidding!  I'm already working on an explanation for my future children why they won't be able to afford to go to college.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

You are assuming that public higher education costs will remain relatively constant.  In state tuition for a place like Eau Claire and La Crosse has more than doubled in the past 15 years.  That doesn't even include student fees, which are rapidly becoming the funding mechanism for non-academic buildings in Wisconsin.

Agree, but their tuition is so low to start with that doubling it still doesn't come close to what MU costs.

Right now I think it's about 8k for La Crosse and about 30k for MU (ballpark). If they each double in the next 20 years, MU will be 60k and La Crosse will be 16k.

Not at big of a difference as I originally thought, but almost 4 times the amount to go to private school.

It's close to that 4/1 ratio now, but 30k is still more palatable for most people. 60k could put MU out of reach for most people (including a lot of alumni who want their kids to go there).

Don't get me wrong, I love what MU is doing and I understand why they are doing it. I just think the upper education pricing system is getting out of whack.