Administrators are asking faculty whether they would like to see the Student Union Memorial Center open a club for employees to congregate, bring guests and eat at the end of the day.

Depending on faculty responses, student union directors may extend the hours of the Redington Restaurant, which is now open only through lunch. With the change, faculty, staff and their guests could relax there later in the afternoon.

Such a club would encourage faculty to use the student union and create a collaborative environment where members could come to share ideas, said Dan Adams, director of the student union.

More than 400 faculty have already responded to a questionnaire that asks whether they would be interested in developing such a club, said Nick Adamakis, the student union's marketing director.

Because the survey is ongoing, Adamakis wouldn't discuss the tone of the responses.

But faculty chairman Jory Hancock said his colleagues have told him over the years they would be interested in creating one of these clubs, which exist at universities across the country.

"It's nice to have a place where faculty can take guests, where they can go and relax and talk with their teaching assistants, where they can talk with each other," Hancock said. "That kind of sense of community is important and a lot of faculty have mentioned that · a place like that could improve morale."

In similar clubs around the country, faculty members pay a membership fee, which typically ranges from $150 to $200, Hancock said.

The faculty survey asks how much respondents would be willing to pay annually if the university provided food, occasional entertainment and other activities, with possible responses ranging from $75 to $150. It also allows respondents to enter their own suggestions.

By hosting the club in the Redington Restaurant, which closes at 1:30 p.m. during the week, the student union wouldn't have to pay additional costs for facilities, Adams said.

But if the idea takes off, the university could consider devoting a portion of another building exclusively to a faculty club, which could potentially be open all day, Hancock said.

Planners have not decided which segments of the campus population would be eligible for membership, but Hancock said it would not be limited to faculty.

"Our idea is, of course, that teaching assistants and research assistants would be able to go there," he said. "Staff would be able to go there."

A similar facility at ASU, called the University Club, boasts about 1,100 members, most of whom are faculty, said Jill Schmidt, the club's office supervisor. Faculty members can pay a $100 membership fee, then $12 per month to access the club.

Memberships are also available to staff, alumni, community members, retirees and corporations, she said.

In addition to a restaurant that serves lunch, the club runs a lounge, hosts catered events and puts on socials. Last night, it hosted a "Lunar New Year" social that Schmidt expected 150 to 200 people would attend.

Karl Flessa, a UA geosciences professor, said that if the university opened a faculty club, he would likely use it to host meetings and entertain guests. But he also emphasized the value of bringing faculty members from across the university to a central meeting place.

"I think it's a good idea because anything that gets the faculty from different departments talking to each other strengthens the university," he said.

Adams said more information about survey results would be available in the next couple weeks. Faculty wishing to fill out the survey should visit union.arizona.edu/fcsurvey.