The Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) began renovations to create a student multipurpose room in the University Centre.
It will be located in the former Travel CUTS location, which shut down April 30.
CUSA is still working out its 2014-15 operating budget, which will be released in the coming weeks. A specific budget for the project cannot be disclosed in the time being, according to Adil Tahseen, vice-president (student services).
“The multipurpose room [will be] a place where students can meet up to study, relax, or get some printing done,” he said.
CUSA wanted the location to be “central and convenient for students,” Tahseen said, so they chose the third floor of the University Centre.
“The overall purpose is to act as a central hub for students, to help alleviate the stress that comes with navigating the university, finding somewhere to meet or study or get some cheap printing done.”
Travel CUTS is a company aimed at student-budget friendly getaways. It was operated by the Canadian Federation of Students until 2009, when it was sold to Merit Travel Group.
The travel agency was debating closing down it’s Carleton location for many years, according to Leslie Gora, director of sales support at Merit Travel Group.
“That location have been struggling for many years,” she said. “Unfortunately we had to shut down the office.”
Gora added the company is rebranding under the name Merit, and is shifting its focus to online services rather than traditional brick-and-mortar locations.
“That’s why we made the decision to come off campus after so many years of being there,” she said.
A poster on the old Travel CUTS office said the Carleton branch merged with the downtown location and will serve both Ottawa universities.
CUSA is hoping to partner with other student services such as the Student Academic Success Centre to help students further benefit from the multipurpose space, according to Tahseen.
Tahseen said he expects the multipurpose room to open in late August or early September.
Related stories:
