Ryerson has just 13 months to turn the historic Maple Leaf Gardens into a premier athletic facility, but if some university officials have their way, it may not just be home to the Rams anymore.

It could serve the academic community, too.

With next year’s March 31 deadline fast approaching, the school must move quickly if it is to retain the Ontario government's $20-million grant, and administrators are scrambling to determine exactly how the facility should be used before construction begins.

Daniel Doz, dean of the Faculty of Communication and Design (FCAD), suggested “the kind of academic activities that could take advantage of Maple Leaf Gardens,” in a way that doesn’t compete with the athletes, but rather makes them part of the experience.

Doz said the facility itself could serve a wide range of educational purposes. “We can have our students broadcast . . . events for RUtv. We can use the events to have our journalism students practise.”

Instead of dedicating precious square footage to academic pursuits, Doz is proposing the facility itself become a classroom.

For example, he suggests theatre production students could work the lighting gear for events or performances.

He also suggests broadcast and radio and television arts students could have a media booth in the Gardens.

“My understanding is that (Ivan Joseph) is really looking to create not just an athletic facility, but a building that belongs to the academic life of the campus just two blocks away,” said Doz.

Joseph, Ryerson’s director of athletics, was the first to approach Doz and his faculty regarding their involvement with the project.

After touring numerous athletic facilities throughout North America, Joseph said he is eager to create the same sense of community found surrounding some of America’s most successful college football teams.

Brad Fortner, program director of operations and technology with FCAD, said he also would like a multi-faculty space. Fortner helped craft the faculty's proposal with Doz, which was submitted to the administration last week.

“The risk is, while it’s great to have Maple Leaf Gardens,that’s not (for) everyone,” Fortner explains.

“(Joseph) sort of wants a place that has (pedestrian) traffic like the Rogers Communications Centre does, not this empty building where 30 people are wandering in on their lunch hour to run the track.”

While Maple Leaf Gardens is now technically a part of the Ryerson community, being a few blocks from other university buildings, it is still isolated from the rest of campus.

Both Joseph and Fortner believe it will take more than just athletics to build that community — the facility needs to be integrated with the student lifestyle on multiple levels.

“A good example is convocation. There’s simply not enough room in the Ryerson theatre,” said Fortner. “There’s going to be approximately 5,000 seats in the arena part, so it would accommodate a lot more people for the ceremony.”

Currently, graduates are limited to two tickets for convocation ceremonies.

Other examples range from live concerts to art installations.

But while the goal is to make the facility as versatile as possible, nothing is concrete.

“The understanding is that there’s not much, or there’s not at all any academic space there,” said Usha George, dean of the Faculty of Community Services. “The school of nutrition would like to see a nutrition clinic

or something close to that. So that’s probably in the works but we’re not sure we’d actually get it.”

Whether any of these proposals will ultimately get approval is still unknown. Joseph hopes to hear details in the coming weeks.

Until then, deans and faculty members continue to wish and wait.