The MacMillan Student Space Upgrade Project 2016
Thanks to a generous offline donation from one of our amazing alumni, we have reached our goal for this campaign and unlocked the full amount of matching funds from the Faculty of Land and Food Systems. Thank you to everyone who supported this appeal!
Story Description
Since 1967, the student space in the basement of the H.R. MacMillan Building has served as a vital hub of student activity. Home to the LFS Undergraduate Society, and the volunteer student-run eatery, Agora Café, this community space regularly hosts Wednesday night dinners, group study sessions, parties, information fairs, film screenings, student forums and the annual LFS Community Dinner.
Over the past 50 years, with little funds available for upkeep, this space—the heart of the Faculty—has not kept up with the needs of the students and has been unable to meet its potential as a vital flexible learning space and community hub. Outdated equipment, electrical and fixtures have meant that students do not have an inviting space in which to connect. Upgrades are required for us to be able to offer a full spectrum of experiences to our students. The promise for this space goes beyond access to a table and chair over lunch or a meeting, but as a place students feel comfortable enough to hang out all day—a place where they can create meaningful memories and connections.
We want to revitalize and modernize the Agora student space into a versatile, flexible, mixed-use space—a welcoming space for students to connect with each other and the community, thus enriching their university experience. This vision includes electrical upgrades to provide ample access to power sources and multimedia ports for presentations and seminars, digital signage, a resource centre, re-configurable furniture, a comfortable lounge area, locker to study space conversion, and Agora Café expansion.
Through these upgrades, the Agora student space has the potential to become one of the most popular informal student learning spaces on campus, a source of pride and a campus home for the Land and Food Systems community.
Challenges & the Impact of Your Support
Most of our events are catered to the current students of LFS so it is hard to raise the significant donations required from our student body. As a small Faculty, Land and Food Systems students have a limited network to rely on to address these challenges. Join us in transforming the Agora student space into the ultimate community hub, to better connect students with each other, the community of scientists, researchers, and community advocates that make up the LFS community.
Your support will be matched by the Faculty of Land and Food Systems—thus every dollar you give equals $2 for this project. Our goal is to raise $25,000 so that we can access the maximum funds available.
About the LFS Undergraduate Society
This project is a joint effort led by students from the LFS Undergraduate Society and Agora Café, with support from the Faculty of Land and Food Systems staff and Faculty. Many of the students involved have been with the Faculty for many years. We are excited to transform the Agora student space into a home away from home for LFS students, from their first day through to graduation day, and beyond. We are passionate about providing a revitalized space for the next generation of LFS students.