The Marvin Center Governing Board hosted three town halls this week to solicit student feedback about the proposed changes to the fifth floor office space.

Representatives from about 60 student groups showed up to discuss the University’s plan to scrap individual student offices on the fourth floor and create an open space for all student groups in place of the Hippodrome.

Fifty-seven out of more than 400 student organizations currently have office space on the fourth floor.

The meetings were held in conjunction with the semesterly tenant meetings required for each student group with an office.

“This place will be ripe for new student org alliances,” Dylan Pyne, chair of the governing board, told the three dozen students at the Wednesday meeting.

Pyne said student groups were largely receptive to the idea of a collaborative area. For many, this meeting marked the first time they had heard about the new community space.

Vidya Iyer, a senior and co-president of Hindu awareness organization Satyam, said she was glad student groups were invited to give their feedback.

Iyer said she supports the new model because “it seems to be beneficial for everyone.”

Sophomore Jasmine Stovall, director of community service for the Black Student Union, said she liked the idea of having centralized services like printing and copying for all groups.

She also said the collaborative environment will allow groups to “see each other on a more regular basis” and will improve communication between student organizations.