I’m sure that many of you have heard at least something in regards to the news surrounding the MTU Makerspace moving. Some of you may have even read our article that we published last week on the topic.
Well, just hours after that article was published, it was rendered obsolete. The MTU Provost sent word out that they would now not be moving the Makerspace. Now while it stings for me as someone who worked on that article, to have my work invalidated so quickly, I am happy to see the Makerspace remain as it is.
Looking at all the details of what’s happened here, I think that this is the right call. Something didn’t sit right with me about how and why the Makerspace was being moved. To me, the whole thing read like an eviction. A decree from on high that, “We want your space, so get out,” without any sort of concrete provision as to where the displaced tenant would go.
Now of course there were perfectly good reasons behind wanting the use of the Alley space. But to me, these didn’t seem like they were strong enough to warrant moving and consequentially, changing the Makerspace from what it is now. I and many others would say that the Makerspace is a more important and integral part of MTU and its campus than a testing center.
Personally, a technological university should embrace and support those unique technical aspects of themselves, such as the Makerspace, rather than getting rid of those aspects to make themselves fit in as just another university.
The importance and impact of the Makerspace were made clear to the Provost in the meeting on Monday regarding the proposed move. There was strong pushback against moving the Makerspace from just about everyone who had any sort of connection to the space as it is now.
It seems like it was this pushback that was ultimately the deciding factor in the choice not to move the space.
