Baruch battles the overcrowding issue

We've all had the experience — running a little late, slightly short of breath from speed walking into the building and hoping to make the next elevator only to find a mob of people waiting for the next one to hit the second floor. In defeat, we might choose to take the stairs or stick it out for a coveted spot in the next elevator. Either way, what could've been a simple trip to class becomes an unpleasant struggle.


It's a situation too well-known to Baruch students, including Sylvia Wu, a freshman who encounters difficulties getting to and from classes everyday. "I was going to take the elevator, but then I saw the big crowd and I just started walking up the escalator — the broken escalator," she said after hiking all the way to the 11th floor.


Faculty members also experience the complications of maneuvering through Baruch. Communications Professor Patricia Ougourlian, at Baruch for 29 years, says the level of crowdedness "depends on the times you choose to come in." She notices "peak times" where it's a lot more difficult to get to where you need to be. But, from her years of experience, she says it's not as bad as it could be. She's taught classes in the 23rd St. Building and in the building on 18th street, which she remembers being even more crowded.

The lines in the library have also been a testament to the crowding. Chief Librarian Arthur Downing is trying to create a smoother process for students. According to Downing, the library keeps "a running count of the number of students who exit the library." He noted that there was a 12 to 15 percent increase since last year. Compared to the past academic year, Downing said there have been "7,000 more reserve loan transactions per month."


He noted that the library "hired more part-time staff to keep all the windows open during peak periods."

However, he realizes all the kinks have not yet been worked out. Downing and his colleagues are still looking to minimize the wait time. "Our goal is a three-minute maximum waiting time," said Downing and suggestions are welcomed. But the solution isn't just hiring more employees.

"We continue to hire more part-time staff who have experience in busy environments, but there is a maximum number who can work simultaneously at the desk area." Plans to add more seating to the upper floor and install more computers on the second floor are also in initial stages.


Many administrators at Baruch relate the busy schedules of Baruch students with the level of crowdedness. A large majority of students have classes Monday through Thursdays, and attend afternoon and night classes. Lisa Edwards, director of planning and construction in the department of campus facilities, noted that Baruch has already reached the enrollment numbers expected for 2015. This "tremendous amount of students" that take afternoon and night classes, combined with the broken escalators and elevators, are the problem.


Despite feelings of Baruch being overcrowded, enrollment has actually remained fairly steady over the past 10 years. According to the Office of Institutional Research and Program Assessment, there were 15,254 students in the fall of 1999 and 16,195 this past fall. But numbers alone cannot begin to explain the real problems. The crowds are the result of a combination of factors that unfortunately do not go well together.


Carl Aylman, director of the Office of Student Life holds the recent winter weather accountable for the congestion at Baruch. Aylman hopes that the spring weather will create less cramping.

The Master Plan for Baruch College acknowledges that there is "a severe shortage of space," and the Space Utilization and Needs Analysis calculates that Baruch has a 13 percent space deficit. Compared to other CUNY senior colleges, Baruch is lacking. The standard Net Assignable Square Feet per full-time student is 110. But Baruch weighs in at around 67 NASF. Hunter, City, Brooklyn, York and other CUNY schools all have space closer to the standard.


Baruch is working to create a smoother flow for students, but the process of crowd reduction is not a simple one. Modifications are underway, including the renovation of the 23rd St. Building.

With the high school out, the goal is to transform it into a fully functional college building with quieter air conditioners and thicker windows.

According to Edwards, it will be a place where professors and students won't dread having classes and the learning environment will be better.


While the elevator lines remain stagnant with crowds in each building and promises of fixing the escalators are made, Edwards' advice to students for now is "Learn to take the stairs and arrive early."