The Optimist
  • Home
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Features
  • Print Edition
    • The Pessimist
    • Special Projects
  • Police Log
  • Classifieds
You are here: Home / News / Campus Center renovations scheduled for summer

Campus Center renovations scheduled for summer

February 9, 2007 by Kelsi Peace

By Kelsi Peace, Features Editor

The McGlothlin Campus Center could look like a food court next fall if Anthony Williams gets his way.

Williams, the director of retail and purchasing, said the university plans to expand the food retail area of the Campus Center this summer and renovate the World Famous Bean in summer 2008.

Williams updated the Students’ Association Congress on plans at Wednesday’s meeting at the request of Maher Saab, SA executive president, to keep Congress informed of progress.

Over the summer, Saab said members of Congress agreed to having a Quiznos on campus. In online polls distributed last year, 51 percent of students said they supported having a Quiznos over other restaurant choices. Williams said he plans to accommodate those students.

“The customer is king,” Williams said. “The only thing I’m married to is my wife.”

The proposal for the food retail is to move businesses to the common area by the mailboxes, Williams said, comparing the layout to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

Renovations will be costly, Williams said, but students won’t pay the price.

“I don’t see this in itself creating a need for tuition increases,” Williams said, adding that ultimately the decision to increase tuition lies with the administration.

Williams said conversations about adding a second story to the McGlothlin Campus Center continue.

Although plans are still being made, Williams said after summer 2008, the Bean could contain a produce exhibition, which offers an extensive salad bar with a sautZ station. The university also may renovate food stations in the Bean, allowing students to see their food being prepared.

“It takes the kitchen from behind the wall, in myth and mystery,” Williams said.

Williams also has a stage area planned in the Bean, in addition to a bakery and a stir-fry station. When complete, the cafeteria will be similar to the cafeteria at University of Texas at Arlington, Williams said.

“There will not be another cafeteria in this city that will rival it,” he said.

Williams said the university decided to stay with food and facilities management service Aramark instead of switching to Sodexho. The decision was made after debate and discussion, using a freshman honors English class as a focus group.

According to the university’s 990, the university’s contract with Aramark was more than $4 millions dollars in the most recent year reported.

While SA will not give funds to help with renovations, it does support renovating, Saab said. One of SA’s main goals this year, he said, is to prompt Campus Center renovations, including changes to the Bean and adding a second story. In fact, the No. 1 ambition of the 2006-2007 Congress, according to the SA Web site at www.acustudents.org, is to give students a voice in the expansions.

For now, SA plans to achieve that goal by educating the student body about the plans, Saab said.

“The best thing we can do is raise awareness right now because that carries the biggest punch.” Saab said the more students, parents, alumni and board members tell ACU they support renovations, the more it will become a priority to the university.

Congress also asked Williams about the possibility of adding a convenience store to the Campus Center and voiced concerns over the meal plan model during a question-and-answer session.

While not promising to add a convenience store, Williams did say renovation plans are still being made. And the meal plan model, he said, will be less rigid only if students pay more in fees.

Students often voice concern over the fact that with the model, all meals are pre-purchased, but not all are used.

“The meal plan model was created with the knowledge that some may not be used,” Williams said.

Williams said student feedback is always welcome and can be sent to umatter@acu.edu.

Congress unanimously accepted resolutions from Alaina Bearden, senior senator and English and political science double major from Placentia, Calif., and Justin Ruiz, Edwards Hall representative and sophomore youth and family ministry major from Belton, and approved Jonathan Duguid, sophomore architecture major from San Antonio, as the new Smith Hall representative.

Filed Under: News

Other News:

  • Provost adopts new policy for emeriti faculty

  • Demolition begins on Sherrod residential apartments

  • ACU Gives exceeds goal, raises over $919,000

About Kelsi Peace

You are here: Home / News / Campus Center renovations scheduled for summer

Other News:

  • Provost adopts new policy for emeriti faculty

  • Demolition begins on Sherrod residential apartments

  • ACU Gives exceeds goal, raises over $919,000

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

Retweet on Twitter The Optimist Retweeted
optimistsports Optimist Sports @optimistsports ·
26 Jun

The United Athletic Conference is officially taking the place of the Western Athletic Conference in the 2026-2027 athletic year. The UAC is a joint football effort between the WAC and the ASUN but will now extend to all sports. #acuoptimist #acuathletics #wac #uac

Reply on Twitter 1938240320854008109 Retweet on Twitter 1938240320854008109 2 Like on Twitter 1938240320854008109 7 Twitter 1938240320854008109
Retweet on Twitter The Optimist Retweeted
ashleyh1607 Ashley Henderson @ashleyh1607 ·
3 Jun

My second year at ACU was full of opportunities that grew me as an individual and a journalist.

In my first year as editor in chief of @acuoptimist, we published six print issues, filmed a 3-hour live election show, and revamped our newscast, all while producing news weekly.

Reply on Twitter 1929734328445178254 Retweet on Twitter 1929734328445178254 1 Like on Twitter 1929734328445178254 1 Twitter 1929734328445178254

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

1 years ago

The Optimist

Video

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

2 years ago

The Optimist
"Ending my college education early was always the plan for me, but the things that I have been able to see, experience and examine about ACU’s community were not. I have found immense growth in ACU over the past three and a half years, but ACU still has a long road to climb if it wants to keep catering to students as the world changes around them." To read more of this article visit acuoptimist.com or click the link in our bio. #acu #abilenechristianuniversity #privatechristianuniversity #collegestudentopinion #acuopinion ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Optimist Newscast Feb. 28, 2024

Our top stories today include a recap of The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, the ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 21, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 14, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Jan. 24, 2024

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Policies
    • Advertising Policy
    • Letters to the Editor and Reader Comments
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Photo Galleries
  • Features
  • Advertise
    • Paid Advertisement
  • Police Log

© 2025 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved