San Jose State University has an all new student union and Fresno State is hoping to lead by example and build a brand new student union — the Bold New Union.

On Jan. 21, various members of Fresno State took a trip to visit San Jose State University’s newly modernized student union envision how new student union at Fresno State would look and feel.

Andrew Esguerra, marketing coordinator at Fresno State Student Involvement said, “From a staff perspective, we have listened to the student voice and our peers’ assessments of our student union facility through studies, and have received feedback that the USU is not able to fully serve the current student population.”

Fresno State’s enrollment has more than doubled since the USU opened more than 40 years ago, Esguerra said.

Every day, Esguerra said, he sees the staff of the current USU “repurposing and retooling our union to make them operate at the peak of functionality” for the university’s “evolving students.” Staff was curious to see how another CSU has implemented and utilized a revamped Student Union.

Throughout the tour, students and Fresno State staff saw the potential for what a student union could look and feel like on their own campus.

The tour stops included: atriums; a billiard room; multiple lecture halls that can hold more than 100 people; Military and Veteran Student Services; a ballroom that can hold more than 1300 people; Student Involvement offices; a theater; a large Starbucks lounge and a dining hall with healthy food options.

An old student union and the new student union was expanded into the new much bigger version of the building.

The previous cement building was rehabilitated to fit the structure of the new building, allowing the campus to maintain buildings special to the San Jose State campus.

Fresno State’s current 52,000 square foot USU opened in 1968 and was originally intended for a campus of 10,000 students.

The “Bold New Union” is planned to span approximately 100,000 square feet.

The proposed three-story Student Union & Faculty Center plans to include: a welcome center, meeting rooms; retail dining space; study lounges and a campus living room; multipurpose rooms; a student leadership center; offices for Associated Students Inc. and Student Involvement and Engagement, outdoor terrace and a Veteran’s Center.

Travis Childress, who is a junior political science major, said a new student union at Fresno State would benefit everyone differently.

“That’s different for everybody. Some people are looking for more space to hang out and relax. Some people are looking for more [space] to do activities and things of that nature,” Childress said.

To Childress, a veteran, having a Veteran’s Center would impact him the most.

“If that were to happen, to get an established resource center, that would benefit myself and the people around me.”

But Childress planning to vote “yes” in March?

“Personally, I am still undecided. So, I am looking through committee minutes and trying to figure out for myself what the best course of action is,” Childress said.

After visiting San Jose State, Childress said he has more information to work with as he decides how to vote.

Brandon Sepulveda, a junior business administration in finance major, said a new student union would improve Fresno State by having a place for students to “come together, gather and have fun.”

Sepulveda said what he saw at SJSU that he would like to see at our university is the ability to have larger meeting rooms and space for students to be together.

By having a new student union, Sepulveda said he thinks students would give a sense of pride.

“I think students would get that ability to feel connected to the campus. A lot of times, students don’t spend that much time on campus. They are either in the library where they are studying, or in our current student union — which isn’t as big as the campus needs,” Sepulveda said. “So, I think building that new student union will add a lot of pride to students and make them a lot [more proud] to be Fresno State Bulldogs.”

Current Fresno State students will have the opportunity to vote online for the fee referendum from March 28 through 30.

If the referendum passes, a proposed annual student fee of $400 will go into effect once the building is complete, in approximately three to five years.

If students receive financial aid, the fee will be added to cost of attendance budgets, which will be used to determine a student’s financial aid eligibility.