The UA could consolidate its summer session building usage by 2006 from 225 to 15, a plan meant to save energy, cut utility costs and possibly lessen summer session surcharges, administrators said.
Al Tarcola, facilities management director, said the average summer session population of more than 30,000 faculty and students could fit into 10 to 15 campus buildings instead of being spread out around campus.
Budget Director Dick Roberts said the move would eliminate air conditioning waste on buildings which are open all week but only used twice.
"The campus is fully open, but less than half utilized," Roberts said.
Though laboratory and art department classes are site specific, most courses could be held in any normal classroom or lecture hall, like the Social Sciences, César E. Chávez, Modern Languages, Education and Psychology buildings, Tarcola said.
Roberts said the efficiency switch could be mutually beneficial for the business management departments and the academic community.
"The faculty needs to get the teaching done and we need to be efficient," Roberts said.
Roberts said although he thinks the switch is possible, it will require lengthy discussion and delicate cooperation.
"The conversation with the academic community is going to take some time," Roberts said.
This year, there is an $11 per credit hour summer session tuition surcharge atop the $704.13 tuition to compensate for the excessive use of air conditioning during summer sessions, Roberts said.
Summer session tuition directly correlates with the academic year's tuition in terms of increasing rates, but this is the first year a surcharge has been added on account of the soaring summer energy bill.
Tarcola said he and others in facilities management figured that in accordance with last summer session's 20,741 students, and staff of 11,500, the total electrical bill averaged $11.32 per student.
Both Roberts and Tarcola said they are unsure how the move would affect summer session surcharges, but summertime utility costs would drop dramatically.
"If the rest of the buildings were unoccupied for the summer and only minimally cooled, the savings in summer utility bills would be significant," Tarcola said, noting the accuracy with which facilities management can calculate the money saved from this step. "Once the plans are formulated, it would be easy to figure the savings."
Juan Garcia, vice provost for academic affairs, said he thinks the switch would be possible after discussions between university administrators in room scheduling and registration, as well as the dean's council and the president's Cabinet.
"Some things that could derail this are lack of cooperation, inability to provide necessary classroom settings, and making the decision in a timely fashion," Garcia said.
Tarcola said he sees no problem with minimizing building use as long as instructors can find the office space they need.
"The students just want to take the classes, they don't care where," Tarcola said. "I don't think there are any problems we can't overcome."
Tarcola said in the conquest to make the university more efficient, planners could also eliminate Friday summer session classes and run classes the rest of the week before 11 a.m., after which most utilities in the buildings could be shut down.
"If some of us get our heads together and are willing to do it, we can make this happen," Tarcola said.