A concession area in the NIU Office of Campus Recreation might become a conference room for staff and student groups, after the Student Association Recreation Committee gave its approval and a vote of confidence Tuesday night.

SARC Adviser David Burke said the proposals of Betty Montgomery, OCR director, are “radically different” than earlier proposals.

Montgomery suggested the center’s concession room be converted to a conference room available for staff meetings. The room also would be open for student study purposes.

“It’s not a bad idea,” said Burke, who favors the move. “It would maximize usage of the space.” Burke said the space is not used often, and could provide an area for student sports organizations and the center’s staff to meet “in a professional conference room.”

Montgomery said people generally take food purchased from the concession room into the OCR’s lounge. “No one is using the room for seating purposes,” she said.

The proposal is in an early planning stage, and a final decision will not come for at least two weeks, Burke said. The committee has requested more information from OCR. “We need some more specifics,” he said.

Burke said his understanding of the earlier proposal was to move graduate assistants into the concession room to extend office space.

“SARC can’t approve of that,” he said, because undergraduate students would not be able to use the space. “We are vehement against that.”

The current proposals are “completely independent” of other space difficulties concerning athletics, Burke said.

The added space would come from the removal of vending machines in the room, Burke said. The machines will be placed in the halls. He also said some other things will have to be moved, including garbage cans and a water fountain.

Montgomery said the room would be unlocked all day and will be open for student use more than scheduled use by groups. “I’m extremely pleased,” she said. “There’s a lack of study space on campus. We need the room.”