Students of Arana College are facing uncertainty this year as proposed renovations have come to an inconclusive end. Weeks ago, the University advised Arana students that residents “will no longer be moving to Te Rangihīroa College this year as previously planned,” despite previous assurance that the move would take place. With the University’s plans remaining vague, students at Arana are now uncertain as to how their stay in Otago will be affected. Will it be tinged with the inconvenience of having to constantly navigate a construction site, or will it be blessed with the peace that is taken for granted by residents? Guess you’ll have to read the rest of the article to find out ;^)
On December 21st, 2021, the University approved renovation plans focused on building system upgrades and emergency strengthening Arana and Studholme Colleges. Though these may seem minor tasks, the University approved a total budget of just under $26 million for the renovations which were scheduled to be completed in February 2024.
Initially, the University had planned renovations at Arana to take place mid-way through 2023. Arana residents would be unable to stay there during this period, so the University had planned to relocate them to the brand-spanking-new Te Rangihīroa College which was due to be completed in April 2023. As in, this month. One Arana student, Sophie*, said, “When they told us we were moving at the start of the year, I thought… is it going to be ready? They said, ‘Yep,’ but a few weeks ago we found out that just wasn’t the case.”
The Uni confirmed to Critic Te Ārohi that students would no longer be migrating colleges “due to a change in the Te Rangihīroa completion date to later this year.” They added: “We are working towards having Te Rangihīroa College completed this year and being open for students from Semester 1, 2024.”
Though students had been made aware that moving wasn’t going to be an option, a degree of uncertainty was rife amongst students. Sophie said, “No one’s really sure what’s happening.” Staking out the entrance to Arana, Critic Te Ārohi had a chat with a group of boys whose conversation proved symbolic of the confusion around renovations. One lad, Jamie*, commented, “I don’t know what’s happening there,” before one of his mates promptly piped up: “I think they’re happening next year.”
Still, only 40 percent of the people Critic Te Ārohi interviewed actually knew what was going on. Seems an astounding figure regarding a topic which could change your day-to-day experience at Otago. Providing clarity on the matter, the University stated that “the previously planned work on Arana is now anticipated to go ahead next year.”
While Arana students' troubles may have subsided, the University’s certainly haven’t. The construction of Te Rangihīroa is proving a constant thorn in the side of a University administration grappling with financial instability and construction set-backs. Originally, Te Rangihīroa was expected to be accommodating students in semester 2 of this year, yet this has unfortunately not been the case.
And now the change for Arana students signals a further delay in completion of the behemoth, which is set to cost the university over $100 million. Alas, the project seems a never-ending tale of woe for the University, who will hopefully manage to have the hall up and running for the beginning of Semester 1, 2024.