The West Virginia University Student Government Association developed a plan to update recreational field space earlier this year.
The plan was finalized in February and submitted to University President James P. Clements to help aid a University committee currently developing a strategic plan to update recreational spaces on campus.
Director of WVU's News and Information Services John Bolt said the plan is "a couple of weeks" from completion.
SGA's plan included a rendering of the St. Francis fields area, which was developed by WVU's Facilities Planning and Scheduling department, specifically Director Rob Moyer and Campus Planner Amee Price. The drawing included two softball fields and two regulation soccer fields. One of the soccer fields would be artificial turf.
"We wanted to be inclusive of all clubs, intramural and recreation sports," said Jon Niles, former men's rugby coach, who has been involved in the process. "We looked it as, ‘yes, there's a need for club sports areas, but there's needs for others, as well.'
"We decided to design it to maximize the space."
Niles said he would like to see the entire St. Francis area updated with artificial turf. Because of budgetary concerns, SGA's plan called for just one artificial turfed field.
The rendering from February also called for a recreation building.
Former SGA Vice President Whitney Rae Peters said there could be an updated version of the rendering. She said students from SGA or club sports have not been represented in meetings to discuss the recreational field improvements.
In addition to the rendering, SGA submitted a schedule for the use of this field space. The timetable included the WVU School of Physical Education occupying the four St. Francis fields from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays. The rest of the time was split between club and intramural sports and open recreation.
SGA also completed a Recreational Fields Survey at the request of the Vice President for Administration and Finance Narvel Weese in early 2010.
The survey polled a random sample of WVU students for information and preferences regarding "recreational field use, availability, quality, sports and suggested fee increment."
The study found a majority of responders believed the overall availability and quality of space was either average, poor or inferior.
In addition, the study found 56 percent of respondents would pay at least a "$1 to $5" and up to "$21 or more" fee per semester toward club sports to increase field space.
"It showed that there was student support behind it," Peters said. "It showed that even if the University wouldn't give us money that they promised, the students feel like it's important enough to pay for it themselves."
Clements pledged $1.5 million toward recreational field improvements at his Oct. 12 State of the University address.
In May, the WVU Board of Governors approved a $15 increase in the recreation student fee.
A total of $10 from that fee taken from each WVU student will be used to support the recreation plan.
WVU is estimated to raise an additional $500,000 in 2010-11 from the implementation of the fee.
In addition, SGA submitted a "Health and Wellness Report" to a 24-member focus group on Oct. 7, 2009 including Clements, Weese and other University administration members.
The nearly 100-page document included information from past SGA meetings involving club, intramural and rec sports, and student health concerns. It also included a plan developed by Niles, which included a three-step plan to better use the recreation facilities at WVU.
When Clements pledged the $1.5 million less than a week after SGA's report was presented, a comprehensive club sports plan was expected to be completed by early 2010. That timeline has expanded past a June 4 and June 30 deadline.
Clements, Weese and Vice President for Student Affairs Ken Gray would not comment.
WVU was supposed to begin development of new recreation fields in 2007, a University facilities planning report from 2006 read.
A 2006 rendering of the St. Francis field area had two softball fields, two flag football fields, new buildings for the Carruth Center and Student Health Services and additional parking.
The plan said the updated Evansdale area would "provide a rejuvenated gateway to the Evansdale campus."
Niles said that plan along with updated plans since then didn't maximize the space and would not work for the majority of the sports.
WVU drew plans to update St. Francis fields near the Rec Center in 1996 in a 1996 master plan.
The 1996 plan called for four softball fields, one which would be used as the University's softball field for a school-sponsored team.
The 1996 plan focused on the development of the Rec Center, which was completed in 2001.
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