DIGS furniture: More $$$ than meets the eye

By Jonathan McFadden
mcfaddenj@mytjnow.com

Graphic by Courtney Niskala • niskalac@mytjnow.comStudents ought to think twice before spilling a juicy burger or mocha frappuccino on one of the circular couches in the DiGiorgio Campus Center.

After all, they’re paying for it.

Because the state of South Carolina, by law, is unable to support non-academic projects on a publically funded university, student fees are fitting the bill for much of the furnishings adorning the one-year-old ‘heart of campus,’ said Rebecca Masters, assistant to the president for public affairs.

Initial funding for the furniture came in the form of capital bonds issued by private lenders for the construction of DIGS, Masters said.

Now, the university is repaying those bonds solely with student fees, Masters said.

“We all wish there were other sources for such needs, but there are not,” Masters said.

Student fees will repay the bonds for the next 20 years, said J.P. McKee, vice president of finance and business. 

“This is how campus centers at virtually every S.C. university I know of are funded, because state funds aren’t supposed to be used for projects of this type.,” he said. “It’s also why students now and in future years should treat the spaces as they would their own homes.”

The good news is that “students really are,” he said.

To prove his point, McKee recalled an incident last year in which the campus center’s outside chairs “disappeared” shortly after opening.

Students who saw the chairs being taken by other students reported that information with Campus Police and the chairs were returned, McKee said.

“Otherwise, student fees would have had to pay for replacing the stolen property,” he said. “So, most students really seem to enjoy and have pride in the facility.”

Private donors usually prefer their gifts to go toward bolstering academic needs, Masters  said.

Lounge chairs and tabletops don’t fit that description.

“So apart from the bookstore and food service areas, where Follett and ARAMARK, respectively, provided some funding, that [student fees] is the only source,” Masters said.

ARAMARK provided $3 million to help construct and equip spaces they would occupy, McKee added.

The $29.4 million DiGiorgio Campus Center officially opened its doors in late August 2010. Its  unveiling was followed by a public dedication in late September. 

The campus center’s debt will mature in 2029. The university usually makes debt payments every April, with money distributed in separate accounts.

When considering where to get the furniture, the university chose two Rock Hill vendors to contribute most of the furnishings. 

American Pen and Panel, a nationwide distributor of office supplies and furniture, and White Office Furniture, another office furnishing supplier, were chosen by the state of South Carolina to equip DIGS with lounge chairs and ottomans, said said Manning Gibson, assistant vice president for facilities design and development.

During the design phase of the project, the university set up vignettes downtown for review, Gibson said. 

General floor plans were drawn to meet the end user’s needs. Focus groups were established to judge and gauge the usability of different areas in the building and make sure “the shoe will fit,” Gibson said.

But Rock Hill businesses didn’t get all the loving.

“Some items did have to be purchased from Charlotte Vendors, since not all vendors carry the same product lines,” Gibson said.

The state sets the pricing and discounting, he said, but also allots a special project discount for large-scale endeavors like the campus center.