DONALD PERIN
STAFF REPORTER

The Fairbanks Building and Gallahue Hall are the only major academic buildings on Butler University’s campus without access via student ID cards.
The Student Government Association, along with the Department of Maintenance Services, eventually hopes to install key card access to those buildings, with priority being put on Fairbanks.
“Our goal was to get Gallahue done last year, but SGA wanted to do Fairbanks so we got an estimate for them,” said Jerry Carlson, director of maintenance services. “It wasn’t high enough to get funded for this year. So we’re going to bring it up again this year. It was number two or three on our list, but it just didn’t get funded.”
SGA president Craig Fisher said the department of maintenance services quoted the project at around $12,000. Fisher also said SGA had the funding for the project but instead put the money towards the outdoor study area by the Holcomb Building, which became the SGA and the Council on Presidential Affairs’ biggest project of the year.
Fisher added that key card access to Fairbanks is still high on SGA’s list of projects and is ranked third behind improving parking and sidewalk drainage on campus.
“It is something that we’re aware of, that students could very much benefit from,” Fisher said. “Whenever student money is spent on projects like these, the biggest priority is that we do the projects that most students will benefit from. We understand, in Fairbanks, that it’s important for all students to have access.”
Junior strategic communication major Natalie Pike said she wants 24-hour key card access for Fairbanks to give her more time to work on homework and projects with the building’s computer labs and edit bays.
“I really want (key card access) because I don’t have time to do homework or work on projects till late at night, and it would be nice to be able to get into the building without having to call BUPD,” Pike said. “I feel like almost every other building has key card access, so why not Fairbanks?”
Sophomore digital media production major Maurice Simmons agreed with Pike, saying that with some sort of access for most the other academic buildings on campus, college of communications students should have 24- hour access as well.
“(Key card access) will allow people who are in the college to get in there and give them time to get their work done, instead of being in a rush to get stuff done,” Simmons said.
Carlson said that if SGA puts the key card access high enough on its list, that installation could happen as soon as next summer to be available to students by the fall 2014 semester.
“Moving forward, we need to put together some sort of timeline so we can budget it so students can use that as soon as possible,” Fisher said.
He added that he is hopeful to see some sort of progress made by the end of the academic year.