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Student life offices return home
August 24, 2007
Student life offices and organizations eagerly began the arduous process of moving back in to the University Center last week after the lower level was declared ready for occupancy.
Among those allowed access to the space were Student Involvement and Leadership, the residential life office, Campus Ministry, ASPLU, the Residence Hall Association, campus clubs and organizations and student media, including The Mast, KCCR and KCNS.
“It’s awesome,” said Lace Smith. “The Lee House was cozy, but this is like moving into a Hilton hotel.”
Smith will be coordinating all the campus clubs and organizations this year. In the reconfigured UC, clubs and organizations have their own designated space, a place where they can store materials and meet. It’s the first time the programs have had such a space, which Smith has affectionately dubbed “The Clubhouse.”
Meanwhile, the former Lute Lounge, Commuter Lounge and ASPLU and SIL spaces have been replaced by a collection of office suites for programs focused on serving students.
The ASPLU office is front and center. It includes a large open room for ASPLU executives and senators and a private office to be shared by ASPLU President Carl Pierce and Vice President Tamara Power-Drutis.
Pierce and Power-Drutis have been following the progress of the renovation on regular tours throughout the summer. Even so, Power-Drutis was still impressed by the nearly finished project.
“It’s pretty much incredible,” she said. “I’m so glad this building and the new bookstore happened while I was still here. Otherwise, I would’ve been a little jealous.”
The southeast corner of the ground floor is now home to the Diversity Center, SIL and Residential Life. Placing these student-focused services close together should create a hub for students to gather in and enhance the existing programming, said Eva Johnson, director of SIL.
“This new space is going to transform the campus experience,” she said. “The whole thing takes PLU to a completely different level as far as offerings and services go.”
The Diversity Center is now “seamlessly” located with the rest of SIL, which symbolizes PLU’s commitment to diversity, Johnson said. And moving the residential life office from Harstad Hall to the UC demonstrates how PLU is more purposefully organizing programs and services.
“Before, students only had one or two reasons to come down here, but now there are a bunch of reasons,” Johnson said.
Jessica Holden, SIL graduate intern, is cautiously optimistic about student use of the renovated building.
“I like it a lot,” she said. “I’m more interested to see how students use it.”
The renovation process is right on schedule, said Mischell Devine-Nunner, senior assistant to John Kaniss, construction projects manager. The building already has a temporary certification of occupancy, and once is passes a health inspection, scheduled for last Friday, it should receive an official certificate of occupancy by Wednesday, Aug. 27.
Construction workers will remain on campus for several more weeks to complete finishing touches to the building, she said. Learn more about the project here.
“It’s awesome,” said Lace Smith. “The Lee House was cozy, but this is like moving into a Hilton hotel.”
Smith will be coordinating all the campus clubs and organizations this year. In the reconfigured UC, clubs and organizations have their own designated space, a place where they can store materials and meet. It’s the first time the programs have had such a space, which Smith has affectionately dubbed “The Clubhouse.”
Meanwhile, the former Lute Lounge, Commuter Lounge and ASPLU and SIL spaces have been replaced by a collection of office suites for programs focused on serving students.
The ASPLU office is front and center. It includes a large open room for ASPLU executives and senators and a private office to be shared by ASPLU President Carl Pierce and Vice President Tamara Power-Drutis.
Pierce and Power-Drutis have been following the progress of the renovation on regular tours throughout the summer. Even so, Power-Drutis was still impressed by the nearly finished project.
“It’s pretty much incredible,” she said. “I’m so glad this building and the new bookstore happened while I was still here. Otherwise, I would’ve been a little jealous.”
The southeast corner of the ground floor is now home to the Diversity Center, SIL and Residential Life. Placing these student-focused services close together should create a hub for students to gather in and enhance the existing programming, said Eva Johnson, director of SIL.
“This new space is going to transform the campus experience,” she said. “The whole thing takes PLU to a completely different level as far as offerings and services go.”
The Diversity Center is now “seamlessly” located with the rest of SIL, which symbolizes PLU’s commitment to diversity, Johnson said. And moving the residential life office from Harstad Hall to the UC demonstrates how PLU is more purposefully organizing programs and services.
“Before, students only had one or two reasons to come down here, but now there are a bunch of reasons,” Johnson said.
Jessica Holden, SIL graduate intern, is cautiously optimistic about student use of the renovated building.
“I like it a lot,” she said. “I’m more interested to see how students use it.”
The renovation process is right on schedule, said Mischell Devine-Nunner, senior assistant to John Kaniss, construction projects manager. The building already has a temporary certification of occupancy, and once is passes a health inspection, scheduled for last Friday, it should receive an official certificate of occupancy by Wednesday, Aug. 27.
Construction workers will remain on campus for several more weeks to complete finishing touches to the building, she said. Learn more about the project here.