Waterman Summer Renovations Complete

This past summer was a busy one in Waterman with three units seeing major upgrades of their workspaces: Student Financial Services (SFS), Grant and Contract Administrative Services (GCA), and Cost Accounting Services (CAS.) In addition, a space was created for the new Administrative Business Service Center and a number of smaller maintenance projects were completed.

According to project manager Darina Mernicky of Facilities Design & Construction, the impetus for the major work came from the need to upgrade SFS’s space to make it a better, more welcoming environment for both students and parents. According to Marie Johnson, Director of SFS, “The renovated space provides such a positive climate. It’s a place to welcome and work with our students and their parents, and provides much improved privacy for sensitive financial discussions.”  GCA and CAS share the same general area on the second floor of Waterman and due to asbestos abatement work it made sense to renovate their areas at the same time. Upgrades to the space include a reception desk on par with the Student Service Center on the third floor of Waterman along with a waiting area, improved traffic flow providing much better privacy, better lighting, central air conditioning, and enhanced emergency egress.  Finally, due to the recent efforts SFS has made to digitize student records, a significant amount of space was freed up by removing the old paper files.

Mernicky reports that the most difficult part of the Waterman work was “finding temporary space for all of the staff affected by the renovations.”  She noted that staff members of all of the affected units were very gracious in making the temporary work space solutions tolerable.

The other major project completed this summer in Waterman was the creation of a space for the new Administrative Business Service Center (ABSC) in room 205 (the old “machine room”). The Center will serve a number of administrative units by providing consistent, high-value business support services. According to Mernicky, the space has been designed with input from the service center project team to ensure that it meets the unique needs of the new unit. Lori Bello, ABSC Manager, noted, “Darina took a concept of how a business service center would work and translated that into a physical space that will help provide the synergy needed to turn the concept into reality.”

Along with these projects, the building’s fire alarm system has been upgraded, the elevator mechanicals were replaced, work is being done in the College of Education & Social Services office on the fourth floor, and the Cashier’s Office is receiving new data links.

On October 1, Mernicky’s work was recognized by Chris Lucier, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Richard Cate, Vice President for Finance and Administration. Lucier remarked, “The finished project exceeds our expectations, allows us to feel good about our work space, and helps us to serve students more effectively.” Cate thanked Mernicky and presented her with a framed letter recognizing that, “The thoughtful, inclusive process you followed to design these spaces has produced beautiful, functional offices that are enabling real improvements in the way we serve our constituents.”

Last modified October 05 2010 08:09 AM