Although the Seattle University bookstore will remain independent, its face may begin to change in the coming months as university officials make plans for a remodel.
The plan according to bookstore manager Bob Spencer: “Give a 30-year-old operation a new facelift.”
The store will be brought up to date with new carpeting, lights and possibly a new storefront with fresh doors.
Facilities Services will schedule the sub-contracting to replace the carpets and lights beginning sometime this summer.
Remodeling will also mean establishing more of an Athletics presence in the bookstore. This includes installing a video system to re-run Seattle U sports games as well as displaying athletics-related photographs and posters around the store.
Other ideas for the updated bookstore include the addition of a Nike concept store, but the add-on plans could come under fire.
The university’s code of conduct states: “By its very nature as a teaching and research institution concerned with questions of human rights, Seattle University takes seriously its responsibility to examine critically its own practices as well as those of its vendors and sub-contractors.”
In the past Nike has been at the center of criticism for its association with sweatshops.
“Presently the [Anti-Sweatshop] committee has not identified any specific sweatshop issues with Nike,” Spencer said, not speaking on behalf of the Anti-Sweatshop committee. “Nike is on our radar. But in terms of an egregious violation we have not been able to identify anything as of right now.”
Seattle U’s Anti-Sweatshop Committee will meet March 4 with Nike on its agenda. The committee will organize a campus-wide discussion regarding the issue, which will include faculty, staff and students. The conclusion of this dialogue will be decisive for a Seattle U decision about Nike on campus.
“Any Nike products in the bookstore will take place if there is a broad discussion and a consensus on campus that we want to expand Nike products,” Spencer said.
A decision to incorporate Nike into the bookstore will not be reached until sometime toward the end of spring.
However, more planning and communication between Finance and Facilities must happen before any real estimates for the cost of the renovation can be made.
“Right now it’s all pretty preliminary,” said Ron Smith, vice president for Finance and Business Affairs. “We’re moving forward as fast as we can, but we need to go through all the steps.”
The bookstore would also like to enhance its governance structure.
The Bookstore Advisory Board is made up of undergrads, graduate students, faculty, staff and administrative representatives. According to Spencer, the board plans to strengthen the communication channels between representatives and their constituencies with regular advertising and a permanent link on the bookstore Web site that allows anyone to reach their representative more efficiently. As well, the Bookstore Advisory Board could obtain more oversight responsibilities over the bookstore and set up an orderly communication structure with the Academic Advisory Council.
Plans to expand the bookstore into the space Human Resources recently vacated have been discontinued. Structurally, it is impossible to create a connected space because the walls between the bookstore and HR space are incompatible with the merger plans. Now, the bookstore must reevaluate internally, using the space it has.
“There isn’t an inch of space anywhere to improve in terms of getting more merchandise in the same space. We are going to have to take a step back and reconsider our plans,” Spencer said.
Zachary may be reached at zdunn@su-spectator.com.
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