The following is an opinion article and opinion articles do not reflect the views of The Tulane Hullabaloo.

The Tulane University administration has frozen all work pertaining to the demolition of the Newcomb College Institute and has neglected to keep the Tulane community informed. Such a large project is vital to our campus, yet students have been left in the dark.

Anne Baños, chief of staff and vice president for administrative services, said administration purposely withdrew the demolition permit to give time for newly instated President Michael Fitts to become acquainted with the situation. The university withdrew the permit without informing the students. The administration has been negligent in its handling of the campus-wide construction project.

Before announcing the plans, the university should have had all the proceedings in order and presented a proper timeline to the student body. As members of the Tulane community, we have the right to know and be informed about the ongoing construction projects on campus, especially since these projects directly affect our campus life. They hinder students from getting to their classes and enjoying the campus environment. 

The planned project will benefit the Tulane community, but students are rightfully frustrated at the administration’s lack of communication and effort to fix the issue. Baños said the administration intends to continue with the construction plans concerning the NCI once Fitts is acquainted. Tulane must work together with student leaders, faculty and staff to make decisions. The Tulane community desires to be involved—all administration has to do is let them.

In his previous “Tulane Talk,” former President Scott Cowen revealed his hopes for the university when he called the new dining hall and NCI facilities the “heart” of the transformed campus. He said the first phase of construction should be completed by 2017. As the date looms closer in a time where we should all be working together, the ever-growing disconnect between the Tulane community and its administration only continues to widen.

The proposed project promised a multi-use facility that would provide a place for students to dine, study, live and socialize. This central space, however, can only be utilized to its fullest extent if everyone within the community contributes.

Amelia Hess is a freshman in the Newcomb-Tulane College. She can be reached for comment at [email protected].