More concourse renovations

Renovations to the Hub and OneCard office in the concourse will be underway through the remainder of the summer with both services set to reopen in the fall. While changes to the OneCard office will be minor, primarily cutting off access between the two centres, the Hub will be completely transformed as the new Printing Services location.

Project coordinator Bill Januszkiewciz explained that the new Hub will be a slightly larger space, moving the front desk approximately five feet into the open concourse area.

“There’s going to be more of a retail face to it,” said Januszkiewciz. With plans to phase out the Hub’s current role as provider of campus information, the new storefront design will promote more exclusively by providing expanded services in printing.

A long-term solution for providing informational services, including campus direction and space bookings, are still being discussed.

Dan Dawson, director of student services, remarked on the possibility of creating an information centre in the concourse.

“There’s several of us at the management level looking at creating something called a service Laurier kiosk,” he said, adding that systems at other universities were being evaluated to generate ideas.

Currently, concourse space bookings are being conducted through the OneCard office while Printing Services maintain that they will train both their staff and student employees to provide informational assistance.

However, Dawson did note that, “one of the things we’re going to try to get in place as fast as possible is an online booking solution for concourse space.”

The online booking form will be available through the MyLaurier web portal although whether it will be accessible in September is uncertain.

With plans for the information booth to be open for the fall of 2011, and the online booking form to be ready this year, the space is expected to be more accommodating to students’ needs.
“If we can increase the level of service to students without them having to go off campus and stuff we’ve achieved something,” said Dawson. “It should make more efficient use of what currently has existed.”

The current renovation of the Hub is expected to be complete for students returning this fall.
“There may be some interior things going on, but for all intents and purposes, as far as traffic goes, it will be open by September,” confirmed Januszkiewciz.