SU survey asks for student input on Carrier Dome’s future
Luke Rafferty | Staff Photographer
UPDATED: May 11, 2015 at 8:40 p.m.
Syracuse University released a survey Monday seeking student input into the future of the Carrier Dome.
The survey, which was sent via email to about 6,000 students, included questions about fan experience at the Carrier Dome, the facility itself and asked survey takers about their level of support for various funding options. The survey was sent to mostly students who are season ticket holders, said Kevin Quinn, senior vice president for public affairs at SU, in an email.
The future of the Carrier Dome is a part of the Campus Master Plan, a component of Chancellor Kent Syverud’s Fast Forward initiative. Last May, the Chancellor’s Workgroup on a Carrier Dome Backup Plan released its report relating to the current life-span of the Dome. The workgroup said SU has a limited amount of time to explore future options and Quinn said in January that SU has about two years to make a decision.
The three options the university is weighing are: an air-supported roof and replacing the current roof, installing a new fixed roof system while making other renovations to the Dome and building a new off-site stadium.
Quinn said the survey is the next step in the process of evaluating the future of the Dome.
“This survey is simply the next step in accurately gauging and understanding the SU community’s interests and it will better inform our future decisions,” he said.
The five-minute survey included “potential concepts, ideas and options that have been considered and/or implemented at other top NCAA Division I schools,” according to the email.
A version of the survey was sent to non-student season ticket holders for which SU has an email address for. The non-student version focused primarily on club seating and asked about survey takers’ likeliness to buy club seats and how much they would be willing to donate to purchase club seats.
The survey said improvements made to the Dome could “provide ideal student/campus life engagement and connectivity, improve student, alumni and fan experiences, showcase the best collegiate sports game-day experience in the country, amplify the overall SU experience, provide best-in-class comfort, amenities and access to all facilities and sustain the iconic nature of the Dome.”
The survey asked how often the participant attended events in the Dome, ratings on various Dome amenities and ratings on various funding sources for Dome improvements.
No decision has been made about any concept included in the survey or the overall future of the Dome, according to the email. The email added that voluntary responses should be completed by May 22.
Published on May 11, 2015 at 6:09 pm
Contact Sara: smswann@syr.edu | @saramswann