“I would assume you’ve done some projections of expected employment over the next five to 10 years,” said County Supervisor Dennis Rooker towards the end of the quarterly three party meeting between representatives from the City, the County and UVA on February 15.
The answer: We’re working on it. But UVA officials didn’t quantify anything. David Neuman, architect for the University, said that “it starts with the student base.”
 David Neuman, architect for the University, told City and County leaders that UVA was unlikely to require on-campus living beyond the first year. |
Growth for the student base is quantified: UVA plans to add 150 students annually over 10 years, largely at the behest of the State legislature, said Neuman. With just over 20,000 students in 2006, UVA employs about 12,000 full-time faculty and staff. Assuming that ratio is maintained, the 1,500 additional students over 10 years would yield 900 new employees.
Earlier in the meeting, Neuman walked City and County leaders through a presentation of 13 building projects, both under construction and in the design phases. New UVA building and expansions total $871 million in costs, according to the University fact book.
“I really think it’s critical to understand that most of this growth is not population driven,” said Neuman, claiming that it’s driven instead by space deficiency and program improvements. “Basically, the sort of research that we’re doing now is not what the same research was 20 years ago. It’s not even what it was five years ago.”
Two of those projects include dorm space, totaling around 500 beds. Neuman addressed the question of why UVA doesn’t house more students on campus—46 percent of undergrads and 5 percent of grad students live in University housing. “They don’t want to be housed on Grounds,” said Neuman, pointing to vacancies in on-campus housing. “It’s not likely that the University will impose beyond the first year that people live on Grounds.” With some Ivy League exceptions, Neuman said, “none of the universities do that.”
C-VILLE welcomes news tips from readers. Send them to news@c-ville.com.
