Five of Carleton’s science societies have been evicted from their offices in the Herzberg Laboratories to make room for neuroscience faculty members. This decision comes as a direct result of the current renovations to the Life Sciences Research Building—the building that serves as the neuroscience department’s research and office space.
The evicted societies are the Carleton Student Science Society, the Physics Society, the Math Society, the Earth Science Society, and the Neuroscience Society.
“These societies are vital to the experiences of the students they represent, and the loss of their office space will significantly impact their ability to plan and carry out their programming,” said Justin Bergamini, vice-president (operations) of the Carleton Academic Student Government (CASG), in an official statement.
The university announced in December that students and neuroscience researchers would have to vacate the Life Sciences Research Building by March 1.
The department is in the process of relocating to the University of Ottawa until the construction of the new Health Sciences Building is completed, estimated to be fall 2017. As was reported by The Charlatan throughout this relocation process, the move could potentially stall research projects and endanger neuroscience students’ graduation plans.
“The move out of the Life Sciences Research Building is nearly completed, and researchers and students are setting up their research at U of O and other partners,” said Steven Reid, Carleton’s media relations officer, via email.
According to Reid, there were seven faculty offices in the Life Sciences Research Building that needed to be replaced.
“There is a critical shortage of office space and, in spite of best efforts, there is no other way to deal with this,” Reid said. He added the move ensures students will have access to their professors through the end of the term and exams.
The executives of the respective science societies were only made aware of the decision two weeks prior to the date of removal, Bergamini said.
Waqar Muhammad, Carleton Physics Society president, said the announcement came as a surprise to him.
“It was a bit of a shock for sure,” he said. “However, the Physics Society was more than happy to offer up our space to help the neuroscience department.”
Along with publishing an official statement challenging the university for its handling of the neuroscience department and the fallout of the relocation, CASG has offered the five science societies their office space for meeting and storage space.
“Beyond just wanting the administration to understand our concerns, we wanted science students and their respective student societies to know that we are listening to their concerns,” Bergamini said.
The Carleton Student Science Society has taken them up on their offer of office space, according to Bergamini.
Fahd Alhattab, Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) president, said all of the association’s bookable space is open to the science societies. The larger issue, he said, is the lack of student space on campus.
“I think addressing the symptoms is one thing, but addressing the actual problem, which is students not owning space on campus and not having enough student space on campus, is the larger issue,” Alhattab said.
Despite the concerns raised by Bergamini, Muhammad said he remains positive.
“It seems the issue is to be resolved by next September,” he said. “We are looking forward to moving back into our office space then.”
– Photo by Trevor Swann
