Throughout the next year, the University will be making major renovations to certain key parts on campus.
These renovations are part of the University’s rebuilding and strategic planning that takes part over the next few years.
The major change that will happen over the summer is the renovation of Commons. Both the inside and outside will be undergoing the change, making it look more appeasing to students and changing the experience inside.
Currently, plans are to make food stations within the seating area of Commons, instead of how it is currently where there are two separate rooms for the seating area, and where the food stations are. A design of what the inside of Commons will potentially look like when it reopens will be posted in the coming weeks.
Renovations to Commons will start after graduation and be completed before the start of fall semester.
Another major renovation that will take place in the summer is the bookstore. Currently, the bookstore has two levels, with the upstairs being for apparel and other school products while the downstairs is where textbooks for all University classes are. The upper level, which is adjacent to the sidewalk, will be expanding to make it more accessible for students. The downstairs will be changing to a space for the Department of Architecture.
The roof of the Sports Center will be undergoing a full change. A new roof will be implemented over the summer and is expected to be a prominent feature in years to come.
As part of the branding and marketing campaign, the first level of the Bates House will be going under a renovation to look more modern for prospective students. Currently, the inside is old-fashioned and in an effort to become modern, it needs to be more attractive since it is one of the first places potential students go to when coming on campus. University tours begin at the Bates House.
One final change to the University will be the upgrades in the phone system. According to Harrison, the system is aging and a new system will, “improve our efficiency in dealing with the volume of telephonic communication.
In future years, there will be other changes to go with the rebranding and strategic efforts of the University.