By Jonathan Machlin
Corrsepondent
The College has a very different look this year, as it underwent major changes to the residence halls, parking lots and administration this past summer, and is still undergoing renovations to the Library Café.
Townhouse Mail Service Changes
One noticeable change for residents of the Townhouses is the new policy on package delivery. For 2013, packages to Townhouse residents will be delivered exclusively to the Townhouse South office.
At the beginning of the semester, rumors circulated that this change was a result of budget cuts to the Townhouse complex. However, Kelly Hennessy, the College’s director of Residential Education, denied those rumors and stated that there were no budget cuts to the Townhouses, but that the change was due to a “customer service and management change.”
In addition, Hennessy said the Townhouses are looking to improve systems in the offices for tracking packages.
“The goal is to provide better trained staff that can provide better customer service, as well as a better management and oversight over packages and keys,” she said. “It’s our hope that students will reap benefits from this smoother streamlined system.”
Parking Lot Changes
The parking lots at the College have also undergone some changes. The parking services section of the College’s website features the updated map and outlines the various changes to the parking lots.
According to the College’s website, undergraduate and graduate commuters will use Lots 5 and 6, levels one, two and four of Lot 7, and Lot 17.
Faculty and staff will be able to exclusively use Lots 1, 2, 4, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 18. Undergraduate students are prohibited from parking in those parking lots at all times.
Library Café Construction
The Library Café is also getting ready for a new look. According to Taras Pavlovsky, the dean of the Library, the plans for the changes were presented this past spring and construction began the week after graduation.
“All of the changes are going to be to the serving area,” Pavlosky said. “They are re-designing the preparation and service area for a more efficient flow of customers. The principal driver, however, will be to get two different lines — which will hopefully reduce the waiting time (for students).”
The renovations for the Library Café were originally scheduled to be completed the week before classes resumed. However, complications arose and construction is currently several weeks behind schedule.
Administrative Hires
The College will also feature some new faces in administration. During the summer, the department of Academic Affairs announced the hiring of two new staff members. On June 20, the department of Academic Affairs announced that Mosen Auryan would be the assistant provost for Institutional Effectiveness, effective Aug. 7.
On July 1, Jeff Passe officially became the new dean of the School of Education, according to the department of Academic Affairs.
John P. Donohue, the vice president of College Advancement, announced the hiring of two staff members via email to the student body.
On Aug. 16, the department of College Advancement announced the installment of John Castaldo as executive director of Alumni Affairs, effective Sept. 1.
On Aug. 28, the department of College Advancement announced that David W. Muha has accepted an offer to become the associate vice president for Communications, Marketing and Brand Management at the College.
