Since a survey last spring documented students’ ill-sentiment toward the International Affairs Building, questions have arisen regarding the space constraints that topped many frequenters’ priority lists.
The survey, which was conducted by the School of International and Public Affairs Student Association, assessed how students rank different aspects of the school.
Respondents said that “being in SIPA next to the law school is like living in Mexico on the border of the U.S.,” called the facilities “depressing and bad for the eyes,” and referred to them as “Stalin-esque.”
“In Manhattan, everything is constrained by space,” Associate Dean of SIPA Patrick Bohan said.
According to Bohan, SIPA had roughly 300 students and 10 to 15 faculty members in 1970. Today both those numbers have approximately quadrupled, requiring tenants to reappropriate the space. “The original architect would not recognize the internal layout of the building,” Bohan said, referring to all the semi-permanent walls that have been placed to divide existing offices.
In fact, when Bohan arrived at SIPA in 1996 to work in admissions, his office was a converted locker room. “There were no windows, no sun,” he said, adding that the Development Office on the 15th floor was previously the cloakroom. Bohan ensured that all workspaces are up to governmental codes.
“Every semester we have to scramble to find room for our courses, and we often have to limit enrollments because large rooms are not available,” said professor of economics Janet Currie.
“As for departmental space, we currently occupy the 10th floor of IAB. Two years ago we were promised space on the 11th floor of IAB and have yet to receive any of it,” Currie added.
“The biggest cry [for space] has been economics,” said Executive Vice President for Facilities Joseph Ienuso. According to him, some of the programs currently housed in IAB—which is home to SIPA and the economics department among other programs—will be moved to Knox Hall on 122nd Street in the Union Theological Seminary quad. That will, in turn, open up more available space in IAB.
SIPA Interim Dean John Coatsworth has acknowledged the space crunch, saying “A recent graduate referred to the International Affairs Building as a neo-Stanilist monstrosity.” “It’s bursting at the seams with faculty and students and classes and activities and we’ve really run out of space. I’m hopeful that some solution can be found in Manhattanville.”
In the meantime, numerous programs—including the political science and economics departments—have given their spaces cosmetic face-lifts. “Paint, and new carpet to replace one that was more than 15 years old and quite disgusting, and some other small improvements so at least our current physical space is no longer an embarrassment, even if it is too small,” Currie said.
Yet the building still lacks a few basic amenities, like enough jacks to connect to the Internet.
“For the most part IAB is a really great space. Being together with other institutions with international focus allows [the departments] to forge links,” Waichi Ho, associate director of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, which is housed in IAB, said.
In the student-run survey of life at SIPA conducted last year, students on average rated “Buildings and Facilities” in the 2.6 range on a 1-5 scale, the lowest rating of all categories.
Joy Resmovits contributed to this article.