Frequently Asked Questions

• UNC is committed to building a facility that houses an integrated student support operation and provides appropriate facilities for our arts students. The state has already committed to funding for Phase 1 of the Commons. The Commons is classified as a continuation project for the next cycle of state budget deliberations, which put it in a favorable position to be funded. However, if Phase 2 is not funded, UNC will work on an alternate funding plan.

• UNC is committed to its partnership and relationship with Greeley. As the front face of UNC, the Campus Commons will sit at the south edge of Greeley’s University and Creative Districts, providing a bookend to complement the UCCC, Downtown Greeley and the many thriving businesses, galleries and neighborhoods in between. The Campus Commons is a logical addition to Greeley’s existing investment in economic development and growth, aiding in our collective efforts to position our city and campus as a preferred destination.

Background Information

• What is the Campus Commons?

  The Campus Commons will be a navigation and support hub for students, a showcase for UNC’s world-class arts programs, and a portal that draws visitors and potential partners into the university so we can show them who we are. By bringing these things together in one space, the Commons will foster connections, collaborations and synergies that would not happen in separate spaces.

• Why is UNC building the Campus Commons?

  The Campus Commons has three goals: (1) Increase the number of students who enroll and succeed at UNC; (2) Address the basic curricular needs of students in performing and visual arts, business, nutrition and hospitality; and (3) Create a welcoming and accessible point of connection between UNC and the broader community.

• Why does the purpose of Campus Commons require a new building?

  Current facilities are inadequate, and UNC does not have a building that could be repurposed to function as the Campus Commons will function. Our student support services are now spread across campus, and students must determine what type of assistance they should seek, so complex issues often send students back and forth among multiple offices. Practice and performance spaces now available for arts students do not reflect the academic quality of our world-renowned programs, and they place UNC and our graduates at a competitive disadvantage. We currently do not offer campus visitors a gateway building where they can access information about the university.

• What functions will be housed in the Campus Commons?

  The Campus Commons will be home to a re-imagined student support operation that integrates a number of now-separate functions including financial aid, registration and the Bursar.

  The Campus Commons will also house undergraduate admissions and new student orientation, performance and gallery space, ticket box office, cafe, and meeting and event spaces.

• How was input provided during the design phase of Campus Commons?

  The Campus Commons Engagement Committee facilitated a number of activities to collect feedback during Spring 2016. This consisted primarily of student focus groups, an online survey, and "graffiti boards” placed around campus. A summary of the committee’s report is available online.

• How will the Campus Commons affect the University Center?

  The Commons will sit just to the south of the University Center and is designed to work in tandem with UC operations. The arrangement and proximity of the Commons event space to the University Center ballrooms will create a shared events plaza between the buildings; the meeting spaces in the Commons will also create opportunities for UNC to host additional events and conferences.

• What is the parking plan for the UC and Campus Commons?

  The Commons will displace parking spaces currently located south of the University Center, but the parking lot south of 23rd street will remain to support student, employee and guest parking. Additional parking is available in the McKee Hall lot, which is close by. Following the construction of the Campus Commons, parking needs will be continually monitored and supplemented as needed.

Development and Construction

• How much will the Campus Commons cost to build and how is it funded?

  The Campus Commons will cost $73.6 million and will be funded through three sources: state capital funds, bonds supported by a student capital fee, and private donor gifts.

  All public universities in Colorado have a student capital fee to help support the construction and maintenance of capital projects. The capital fee that will help build the Campus Commons is being phased in over five years. Fee funding of $160 per year (for a full-time student) is needed to build the Commons.

  The remainder of the capital fee is for the maintenance and repair of UNC’s existing facilities and to continue paying off other fee-funded buildings such the Rec Center. Examples of recent maintenance and repair projects funded with the capital fee include: University Center roof replacement; sidewalk repairs; Gray Hall gymnasium conversion to performance space, Brown, Dickeson and Lujan Hall roof replacements; Campus Recreation Center locker room renovation; fire alarms in Kepner; Ross Hall research and lab space improvements.

• Will UNC's capital fee continue after the Campus Commons is built?

  Yes, the fee is designed to allow UNC to pay off the full cost of building the Campus Commons over approximately 30 years. In addition, we must continue to repair and maintain existing buildings.

• Why not fund maintenance of existing buildings instead of a new building?

  A significant portion of the funding for the Commons comes from restricted sources. The state funds received for Phase I and requested for Phase II of the Commons come from a restricted source; in other words, the state limits how the funds are used. The Commons was viewed favorably during the request process because it aligns with the state’s required use as well as its larger higher education priorities. Receiving funding for the Commons does not prevent UNC from requesting state support for existing facilities; we will continue to seek state support for existing building maintenance needs through the state’s controlled maintenance process. Donor investment is always restricted to the donor’s intended use; therefore donor funding provided in support of Campus Commons can only be used for that purpose.