The JDUC’s second floor is getting a makeover, with a new wheelchair accessible washroom, a religious ablution space and renovations to the Robert Sutherland room.
JDUC Director Bob Burge said the JDUC council has wanted to renovate the space for a while, but it wasn’t until August that it obtained the funds from the University to do so.
“It’s really hard to get funding for these projects,” he said. “The JDUC council has been looking for ways to do something with that space.”
The project costs about $34,000, $6,000 of which is from the JDUC council and $28,000 of which was supplied by the vice-principal (academic)’s office.
The JDUC council is a body responsible for the JDUC’s governance and oversight whose hip includes the JDUC director, dean of student affairs and of the AMS and SGPS executives.
Renovations to the Rovert Sutherland Roomare almost complete, and the room now has fresh paint, curtains and displays highlighting diversity and multiculturalism on campus, as well as background information about Robert Sutherland.
Sutherland was the University’s first black student and one of the University’s earliest benefactors.
“It’s a much warmer space,” Burge said.
Construction on the ablution space, used for students to wash in preparation for prayer, and accessible washroom is scheduled to be completed by the end of this semester.
Whereas originally there were two washrooms on that floor—one male and one female—there will now be one gender-neutral washroom and one ablution space.
The ablution space will contain facilities for ritual washing that was previously performed in washrooms.
A re-dedication of the Robert Sutherland room is planned for Nov. 29, and will feature a presentation by dub poet Afua Cooper.
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