North Texas Daily

Joshua Knopp // Senior Staff Writer

A class group has joined the movement to get more maps on campus, an effort currently being hindered by stretched-thin university funds and the $7,000 cost of a new map.

An honors American government class produced the idea in a group project that required them to develop and try to implement an idea to improve campus. International studies junior Hibbah Kaileh said her group saw a lot of people get lost on campus, and with constant construction, new and updated maps would help.

“It will, of course, help incoming freshmen find their ways around, as well as visitors,” she said. “I think it would also help upperclassmen, as we tend to have that one class in a random building that we’ve never heard of before.”

The group asked director of facilities management Helen Bailey how to get more maps on campus. Bailey said money was the main issue, as the maps they want to put in place cost about $7,000 a piece.

Bailey said the map in the clearing just south of the GAB, which is lighted and has a removable cover for updating, is what her office wants to see more of.

“This is our prototype for map directories, and we hope to install more,” she said. “But it has not come to the forefront as a priority for limited university funds.”

Bailey said other maps are around campus, but they are not changeable like the one near the GAB. They need to be replaced, and some have already been removed.

Bailey said ideally she would be setting up about 10 more maps, but she doesn’t know where. She said she hasn’t done the planning yet because she doesn’t have the funds.

“It’s about prioritization of resources,” she said. “Both manpower of my planning staff and implementation cost.”

Eagle Ambassador Jacob Schumann, whose office in the EagleStudentServicesCenter organizes campus tours and keeps maps on hand, said the university could use new maps near the Highland Street parking garage and near the GatewayCenter.

Schumann said visitors preparing for tours park in the Highland Street garage, but sometimes have trouble getting to the student services center for the tour itself. A map near the GatewayCenter would help in-semester visitors who think it is a visitor center, Schumann said.

Feature photo: The map near the bus stop at Fouts Field is and older map that is not replaceable, and it has grown outdated. Bailey said this map and others like it will be removed after updated maps make it on campus. Photo by Joshua Knopp / Senior Staff Writer