MSU trustees were faced with two broad proposals Friday for the future of campus’s 70-year-old West Circle dorms - renovate them or tear them down.

Although a plan for the residence halls’ future is, at the earliest, months off, the buildings are becoming more costly to operate - and could cost even more to bring up to code. It costs about $600 more per student for the university to operate those dorms, and that number could more than double in the next 10 years.

But the trustees were right to meet even the thought of destroying the buildings with skepticism. Their loss, even if replaced with similar new structures, would be a tragedy.

Tearing these buildings down would be tearing down more than history, the whole look and feel of north campus would inevitably be lost. While it’s important for MSU to have a sound vision for the future, it is equally important to recognize the history and nostalgia of the campus.

We recognize it is inevitable that some buildings will not be able to be saved. For instance, Morrill Hall isn’t structurally sound enough to give a long future, and the design of the Paolucci Building doesn’t easily allow for remodeling.

The decision is a tough one, though. Preserving the texture of campus is delicate. These buildings are precious not only to MSU students, but to area residents and alumni around the world as well.

Next month the board is expected to vote on the university’s 2020 Vision, a master plan to outline the look of campus in the future. The plan takes care to be sensitive to the needs of the older north campus, as well as make the area south of the Red Cedar River more aesthetically pleasing.

This plan is the right idea, and so is taking every possible step to protect and save the campus’s most historic and beautiful buildings - including the West Circle dorms.