In the wake of the accessibility audit: CC’s housing shuffle

“In the coming year, they will have to decide,” said David Carlson, outgoing CCSGA President, regarding the status of Synergy House, Interfaith House and Ticknor Hall.

Five years ago, the Department of Justice randomly selected Colorado College for an Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility audit. Ten colleges and universities across the country were carefully inspected to ensure that the guidelines of the ADA were being followed. Several CC buildings did not pass the inspection and the school was given until the 2011-2012 school year to comply.

After renovations, the main issues that remain are themed housing buildings that are not handicapped-accessible. According to the ADA, all special school programs must include an option for disabled people. Every type of housing must include a certain number of handicap-accessible rooms. Regular living areas such as Jackson House do not need renovations because the larger dorms have living options for those with disabilities, but every themed house must include opportunities for all students.

Some changes were relatively simple, such as the recent installation of a wheelchair ramp in the Glass House. However, the changes necessary in some of the older themed houses that failed the audits, including Synergy, Interfaith and Ticknor, are putting the future of their existence at stake.

“The House of Synergy is nowhere close to ADA-accessible,” Carlson said. This staple of sustainable living at CC would require awheelchair ramp, a complete restructuring of all the doors and hallways and a new bathroom. “It would be cheaper to tear down and rebuild a new house than to renovate it,” Carlson said.

John Lauer, Director of Residential Life and Housing, explained that the age and build of the houses would make renovations impractical.

“It was clear that costs would be significant and the small occupancies of those homes made it more practical to explore moving the programs, which is what we’ve been doing the last 18 months or so,” he said.

Synergy has just one more year in its present location before it must meet the Department of Justice’s compliance deadline. For the past year, many different options have been discussed in a series of meetings between Residential Life, CC Student Government Association and members of themed housing.

Lauer was optimistic about the possibility of physically connecting Synergy with the Interfaith House building. The Interfaith House also failed the ADA inspection. After next year, Lauer said the Interfaith program will cease to be a residential program and instead exist as a campus organization without a house. He said that the new Spirit of Non-Violence living-learning community in Mathias next year will provide a residential space for spiritually-minded students. The decision to close the Interfaith House, according to Lauer, gave the school the opportunity to consider connecting the houses.

In August, Crafts Manager of Facilities Will Wise will work with an architect to explore the possibility of connecting the two houses with a single wheelchair ramp that would allow access to both homes. This would expand the Synergy program from six to 11 students and lower the costs of renovations. This option remains a possibility, but Lauer stressed that no final decisions have been made.

According to Carlson, the option of renting a new, handicapped-accessible house from Sunflower or another private company is possible but not likely. 

Instead, Carlson proposed an expanding strategy similar to the fraternity system. In Kappa Sigma, living in the fraternity’s building is not contingent on membership. Many people are a part of the brotherhood, but the house does not have to be handicapped-accessible because people can join the organization regardless of their ability to live in the house. Carlson believes this solution would allow more people to join the Synergy community and share in the sustainable living program without having to drastically change the living area.

Sophomore Jack Fields, a resident of the Synergy house, has been working closely with ResLife to find a solution. He said he respected the school’s decision not to invest in the expensive renovations in a community for only six students, but stressed that the Synergy community was much larger than its residents.

“The Synergy house affects more than just the six of us living here,” Fields said. “It’s a community house. Tons of people come through here.”

Many CC students spend time in the Synergy house socializing, cooking, celebrating and learning about sustainable living. Synergy publicizes campus-wide potlucks about once a block to encourage new people to feel welcome in the community. 

One such student, sophomore Bobby Mora, feels a part of Synergy despite his living in another campus dorm. 

“Synergy keeps CC sane and less hypocritical,” Mora said. “They represent the few honest hippies who actually follow through on what they think they believe. Otherwise we’re just a bunch of happy yippies [yuppy hippies]. Plus they make some mean food. And it’s one of the few houses with a good music selection.”

There is no doubt that Synergy will continue in some form. Fields stressed that residents of Synergy wanted to expand the number of people living sustainably. He said that they receive about thirty applications to live in the house each year. Ideally, he hoped that an additional house could become a Synergy community. The small size of the current house ensures a “natural accountability” so that each member does his or her part. Fields said he spends an average of five to 10 hours each week on chores to keep the house running smoothly and that with a larger residency, responsibility would have to be very organized to ensure that all members do their fair share.

“We all agree that we want to open up, expand the number of residents,” he said. “But it would definitely change the program.”

Sophomore Synergy resident Sebastian Tsocanos agreed. 

“It’s unfortunate to move from a place so much time, effort and money has gone into but I’m excited about new possibilities – especially more residents,” Toscanos said.

Fields and the current residents of Synergy think that their best solution may be transferring the program to Arthur House, which houses about 20 students. Synergy residents, while acknowledging that expansion would change the program, are excited that more students who want to live sustainably could have the opportunity. They are also hesitant about Arthur’s small kitchen and lack of farm area for compost, but are trying to be flexible.

“It’s still better than no Synergy house,” Fields said.

CCSGA voted to support Synergy’s resolution to live in Arthur, but Residential Life remains hesitant. Ticknor, the substance free, added quiet themed small house also failed ADA and Lauer said that ResLife was leaning towards making Arthur the new substance free, added quiet house. 

“The status is pretty unclear,” said Fields, “That’s all we really know.”

Synergy, CCSGA and ResLife are exploring many different options, but those involved say that it is a collaborative, rather than confrontational, effort. 

“Residential Life and Housing is working hard with the students to identify the future of the Synergy house,” said Residential Life Coordinator Paul York. “We believe that the mission of the house provides a great service to our campus community. Ideas are constantly being thrown back and forth and we appreciate the involvement of the current residents of Synergy house.”

Many student and faculty groups are working together to share ideas in the wake of the ADA inspection and Lauer indicated that the school will need to pick a direction to take by fall. Fields and the rest of the Synergy community remain optimistic about the future.

“There’s a new crew of Synergists moving in ready to tackle this issue,” Fields said. “And I think they’ll do a great job.”

The college also set aside money to help other residential buildings comply with the ADA issues identified by the Department of Justice. According to York, this summer McGregor will install an elevator, renovate the basement and improve lighting.

York also shared plans for combining two other CC communities. This summer, the Student Cultural Center will move into the basement of the Glass House, which was recently made accessible by its new wheelchair ramp. The programs will partner using a grant from Ellis U. Butler. The grant will fund a $150,000 renovation of the basement of the Glass House that will make the Student Cultural Center completely ADA-compliant with a wheelchair lift and new bathrooms. On Homecoming weekend, the SCC will be renamed the Ellis U. Butler Jr. Center for Intercultural Leadership. 

Residential Life is also spending $3.5 million on renovations in Mathias Hall. According to York, the funds came from reserves the department saved over the past couple of years. The money is going mainly towards the design and construction of four new living learning communities. Students will have the option of living in handicapped accessible themed communities within a larger dorm, including Global Living, Gender and Sexuality, Grassroots Organizing and Non-Violence/Spirituality. The new communities will increase the opportunity for student participation from 12 to over 64 students in Mathias. 

“These communities will give students great opportunities to explore these topics in great detail and allow them to delve deep into the notion of a liberal arts education,” York said.

Lauer called Mathias’s renovations “a facelift,” and emphasized sustainability efforts. This summer, builders will install new low-flow water fixtures, energy efficient lighting, Energy Star appliances and upgraded mechanical systems. They will construct using some recycled materials.

Mathias will also receive a new fire sprinkler system, new flooring for common areas and bathrooms, private dressing spaces in shower areas and upgraded lighting fixtures in dorm rooms and halls. Construction is scheduled to be completed on August 16, 2010.

After several years of CC converting study halls to dorm rooms for over-enrolled freshman classes, York said the school was “confident” it would not need to use study lounges for rooms next year. However, he acknowledged that there will probably be temporary triples for incoming students.

“College admissions is a little bit of a gamble,” York said. 

He explained that admissions offices across the nation admit more students than they expect to actually move in, but when more freshmen enroll than expected, housing can become a bit of a squeeze. He said there will likely be around 520 incoming first year students. 

As CC shuffles, tears down and rebuilds, there is no doubt that great changes are in store for the next couple of years. As York said, “ResLife is exciting because things are constantly changing for us.”