With the start of the Fall 2002 semester, ASU Computing Commons scaled back their hours due to a $40,000 budget cut, leaving many ASU students upset.
"Change it back," said Mike Robinson, a supply chain management senior who was displeased with the changes.
The Computing Commons used to open at 9 a.m. on Sunday and remain open until 8 p.m. Friday. On Saturday it was open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Now the Computing Commons Atrium is open 7 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to midnight on Sunday.
"It was not something that we wanted, but we were forced to do it," said Bob Nelson, assistant vice provost for Information Technology. "It was strictly budget [cut backs]."
Robinson added that the change in hours was not well advertised.
"I found out the hours were different when I showed up at 6:30 a.m. and the Computing Commons was closed," he said.
The new schedule was also a surprise to Amber Haymore, aerospace engineering junior.
"It wasn't displayed well in the slightest," Haymore said. "It's not even well advertised in there and you have a hard time finding a sign that has the hours they are open."
Haymore added that she had to change her studying habits because of this new schedule.
"The biggest effect I have felt is that I am a morning person and now I have to come in at night when I don't work as well," Haymore said.
Yvlnne Frender, a Spanish and linguistics graduate student came to ASU this semester from Missouri University and said she was surprised to see the Computing Commons have such short hours of operation.
"I was surprised to see such a large campus with such a large student body have such restricted hours," Frender said. "I hope they change them back. Especially during midterms and finals."
Nelson said he was doing everything he could to return Computing Commons back to 24 hours, but was not optimistic about it happening.
"We will have to wait for next semester's budget," he said.
Reach the reporter at samantha.xanthos@asu.edu.
