MARC CHOQUETTE
Perspectives Editor
After years of speculation among students as to what the administration had up its sleeves regarding the future of the Malibu campus, we are finally getting a better idea of what Pepperdine will look like when we return to visit down the road. The recent submission of a $250 million plan outlining major changes to the Malibu campus has officially put those rumors to rest, and the proposals are both ambitious and impressive.
But a few important concerns have yet to be addressed. The first hinges on whether numerous planning commissions and planning boards will approve the project and how the City of Malibu will react. If so, the question then becomes how long it will take to raise funds to cover the hefty price tag.
The major facets of the “Campus Life Project” seek to improve what are the most lacking aspects of the 36 year-old campus: parking, inadequate or aging facilities and the lack of a proper quad of green space for students to gather — as the separate “Town Square Project” looks to address.
The best characteristic of these changes is the notable emphasis on efficient, aesthetically pleasing and low-profile use of our unique terrain.
Of the few blights on our campus, the numerous, space-consuming parking lots top the list. The project seeks to consolidate by relying on parking structures — many of which will be hidden underground.
While Firestone Fieldhouse may be a cozy and charged atmosphere during big games, its overused and cramped facilities (including the closet-sized weight room) have certainly held back recruiting efforts for athletics, especially our ailing basketball program. A new arena in Rho parking lot, which will sit 5,000 people and fill out at a massive 239,000 square feet, will both raise the profile of Pepperdine Athletics in numerous ways and free up much-needed space for non-athletes to use the athletic facilities.
We all know this project is an overall win-win for Pepperdine. The questions that have yet to be addressed by University officials, aside from how we will be able to fill a 5,000-seat arena, is how this is going to be paid for and how long it will take before the ground is broken.
As Director of Regulatory Affairs Rhiannon Pregitzer told the Graphic last week, the commencement of construction will hinge on fundraising. So where is the source for all this money?
Will the University dip into its comparatively modest $850 million endowment to help cover costs? Or will this rely solely on benefactors and generous alumni?
If the answer is the latter, anyone who has worked at the Call Center knows firsthand about how difficult it can sometimes be to raise money for the University. It is not known exactly why this is the case, but this needs to be of concern for school officials. Why don’t we want to give back?
Students, ask yourselves: Do you envision yourself donating to Pepperdine as an alumnus? While hardly a scientific assessment, too many students I have talked to remain skeptical, wondering how the school can expect us to give more after dealing with loan payments and such high tuition costs post-graduation. Others simply feel no reason to donate citing a lack of school pride.
While this certainly does not account for everyone and outlooks can change with time, these stories provide a bit of insight as to the hurdles that must be faced before this project can get off its feet.
As in politics, it is one thing to talk about grand plans, but quite another to explain how they are going to be fully realized. Admittedly, it is still early in the planning stages and we cannot expect every detail to be outlined, but this fundraising conundrum is one that needs to be addressed — especially since today’s students will be the ones receiving calls to donate down the road.
It seems that by not getting into details, even those in the administration supporting the project do not quite know how they will raise this $250 million. But what is clear is that if this project is to commence in the next decade, some fresh and new approaches to fundraising will be needed.
02-14-2008