2011: year of the movE
University Center Changes Underway
For some Fresno State programs, April means not only enjoying the return of wonderful spring weather, but a new place to call home.
Starting the week of April 11, the University Center welcomes its new first-floor occupants: University Outreach Services, Upward Bound and Educational Talent Search. The building – in a prime location for these student-focused programs – is just east of the Madden Library, in the heart of the campus.
The exterior of the 50-year-old University Center is also freshened up, with improvements including new concrete panels that mirror the external design of the Madden Library. New landscaping for the University Center will begin later this spring.
But, that won't be the end of renovation at the building. Future plans involve converting the first-floor Renaissance Room into a state-of-the-art presentation room featuring “smart classroom” technology.
Meanwhile, more moves take place the week of April 25 at the Lab School Modular building on Keats Avenue. The new occupants are the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute; College of Arts and Humanities faculty offices and reading room; and the Office of Community and Economic Development. There also is additional classroom space in the modular.
The Move-O-Scope invites you to check back soon for news of other moves coming this spring at Fresno State.
Exciting Plans For Joyal in the Queue
The Joyal Administration building is about to undergo some shifts that, logistically, will enhance the services of several departments.
The moves – scheduled to begin this spring – are happening because University Outreach Services departs from its second-floor office for a new home in University Center. This transition leaves open space that will trigger changes for other offices in Joyal.
The Move-O-Scope, always impressed with how the folks at Facilities Management reconfigure and coordinate these kinds of shifts, has the rundown on who's going where:
- Human Resources and Payroll Services will both move to the old University Outreach Services rooms on the second floor, with the main entrance through JA 211. The two services have been in separate offices in Joyal and will be combined in one location
- The new joined office for Human Resources and Payroll Services also will gain some additional space next door in JA 204. The current occupant, Financial Aid, will move to JA 275.
- This means that Financial Reporting, which has been in JA 275, will switch offices. It will be in a temporary location in Joyal before moving to its permanent office downstairs. Once the permanent move happens this summer, the main entrance will be via JA 148.
- Procurement, which has been in JA148 and other offices in Joyal, will move to a single section on the first floor: the soon-to-be former rooms of Human Resources in JA 161 and JA 164.
- Two of Procurement's current offices are on the second floor. Procurement's departure means that Student Success Services, with its tight quarters in JA 224, will gain some needed additional space in JA 240 and JA 243.
- Finally, Payroll's current space in JA 249 will be transformed into a break room for the staff in the Joyal building.
More Physical Changes Underway
An awestruck Move-O-Scope recently learned that one of the upcoming physical changes at Fresno State – a Computational Science Center – is part of a massive science experiment that's garnering worldwide attention.
The experiment? The Large Hadron Collider that seeks to explain the birth of the universe. It's overseen by CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, and is located in Geneva, Switzerland.
Fresno State's Dr. Yongsheng Gao, a professor in the College of Science and Mathematics, is leading the university's role in the historic, international experiment. The National Science Foundation in 2010 awarded Gao and the university a grant of $620,000, which will be used to put together the Computational Science Center on campus.
The center will be housed in Room 104 in the Grosse Industrial Technology Building. It will include computers and equipment tied to a segment of the experiment involving the ATLAS detector and particle physics.
The computational center will be a Tier 3 facility, one of only 10 in the United States that will work on data generated by ATLAS (which stands for A Toroidal LHC ApparatuS.) Fresno State, in fact, is one only 40 universities in the country involved in ATLAS and the only California State University campus. But Fresno State wants to give other sister CSU schools an opportunity to participate and has formed a consortium for that purpose.
The center is scheduled to be completed this spring.
The science facility is just part of the upcoming transitions on campus. The Move-O-Scope, for example, is waiting to see what new changes will happen at the Joyal Administration building.
When University Outreach Services moves out this spring, the program will leave vacant 2,775 square feet of space in the two-story structure. As a result, university officials currently are analyzing the best and most efficient way to reconfigure the building's use. Stay tuned for more information.
The Lab School Modular
Now that University High School has settled into its strikingly modern new home near Joyal Administration; the ever-curious Move-O-Scope wanted to find out what happened to the school's temporary base just west of the Music Building.
If you recall, the charter high school operated in portable classrooms while its permanent home was under construction. Well, the portable buildings have been taken away, with one exception – the Lab School Modulars. It may be empty, but the Move-o-Scope has learned that the site will bound to new life this spring.
Plans are underway to freshen up the interior with paint where needed and to repair or replace the flooring. In addition, new carpeting will be installed and the telecommunications infrastructure will be upgraded.
When the work is completed, two programs will move into the modulars. One will be the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, which is currently located off campus.
The Osher Institute is geared toward people aged 50 and up, retired or semi-retired, who enjoy learning and exploring new ideas and topics. (And, if the Move-o-Scope may add, without the requirements of homework and exams!) The new location, which will place these seniors near the heart of our vibrant campus, will include classroom space and provide easy parking and pedestrian access. The transition should be done during the spring 2011 semester.
The modulars also will provide additional office space for faculty from the College of Arts and Humanities. The college has a definite need based on a recent study of enrollment figures. These offices should be ready by the end of the spring semester.
These two programs won't take up all the room available in the modulars. How the remaining space is still being evaluated.
2011 Has Changes in Store for University Center
As the spring semester shifts into high gear, the Move-O-Scope is back to let you know that more changes are underway to enhance our campus, starting with the University Center.
First, the Move-o-Scope wishes everyone a fantastic 2011 and hopes that you are enjoying this historic Centennial year at Fresno State.
Now, the latest news: the 50-year-old University Center is getting a makeover. You may have noticed that its west side is fenced off, but rest assured, The Bucket and the Vintage Room are still open on the east wing.
The makeover project includes a fresh, new look for the exterior of the 1960 structure, which is just east of the striking Henry Madden Library. The façade of the University Center will be covered with concrete panels that mimic the design of those on the library's external surfaces.
Other improvements will be new lighting, better window canopies, new paint, renovated concrete seating and a shaded covering for the main outdoor seating area. New landscaping will then be added for a nice finishing touch. This work will be finished this summer.
That's just the outside. Impressive changes also are taking place inside.
During the campus' physical transformation, the University Center has been a stalwart temporary base for a variety of departments and offices that moved in and out the past year. Now, once interior renovations are complete, the first floor will be home for University Outreach Services, Upward Bound and Educational Talent Search.
Plans also call for a revamp of the first-floor Renaissance Room, which originally the campus’ Cafeteria. It's being converted into a state-of-the-art presentation room. It will feature “smart classroom” technology, with a seating capacity of 48. There's no doubt the space will be busy.
For example, University Outreach Services will use the space to host prospective students and parents as a way of introducing them to Fresno State and all its advantages.
In addition, faculty presentations will be made in the room through our colleagues at CSALT (Center for the Scholarly Advancement of Learning and Teaching) and TILT (Technology Innovations for Learning & Teaching).
With so much going on, the Move-O-Scope can't wait to see the “new” University Center.
Fall 2010 Projects in Full Swing
While many of you enjoyed a well-deserved summer break, the scenery at Fresno State has been undergoing a significant transformation in just a few months time.
The Move-O-Scope has been here and can tell you: It's been a whirlwind of activity that revved the Scope's cogs into hyperdrive.
Fresno State's facilities staff and other crews have been hard at work building new structures and moving colleagues from one location to another. It's all part of the Campus Master Plan -- the university's long-term blueprint to accommodate future growth and, at the same time, shape a dynamic campus that inspires creativity and engages the community. The plan enhances Fresno State's vital role as a leader in the Central Valley.
“We've made huge progress. We really have,” says Robert Boyd, Associate Vice President for Facilities Management.
Current construction projects during this historic centennial year include the Aquatics Center, which is just north of the North Gym and should be completed in February 2011. University High School, our acclaimed charter school, moves into its exciting modernist Art Dyson designed building, just south of Joyal Administration on Nov. 12.
On other fronts, the Move-O-Scope has been watching in awe as crews have moved offices and departments. Some of the shifts were permanent, while others were temporary transitions usually prompted by renovations or remodeling. (We invite you to read about all these transitions in previous postings on this website.)
Boyd says the moves, with more coming this fall, have “really been motivated by the Master Plan in trying to organize the various departments in a more aligned relationship to their location, function and need.”
It also meant bringing off-campus offices back to the university to cut down on operational and space leasing costs. As Boyd says: “We also realized in these tough economic times that we had to eliminate or reduce our off-campus spaces.”
Some moves and projects have already taken place this fall:
- Upward Bound has moved temporarily from University Center 127 upstairs to UC 205. This move frees up the first floor for renovations.
- On September 27, The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute will move to an interim location in University Center 202.
- On September 28, the Social Research Lab will to the Social Sciences building, Room 227.
In October, work will begin to renovate the University Center's exterior facade as well as the first floor interior space. The first floor will house a variety of programs that serve current students and reach out to prospective students and their families.
Boyd says it took “massive coordination” to carry out the moves that have been completed to this point: “Our thanks to everyone involved, from the departments being moved to our team that made it all happen. Everyone working together was inspiring.”
“It’s reinvigorating to watch some segments of the Campus Master Plan come to fruition. It’s important to have a plan that helps guide strategic space planning decisions.” says Cynthia Teniente-Matson, Vice President for Administration.
A Busy July & August
Summer temperatures are sizzling, and so is the brisk pace of new moves planned the next few weeks at Fresno State. 170 people across 9 buildings in two months is quite a feat!
A series of bustling shifts are going to unfold, like an elaborate dominoes design. These particular moves, part of the university's master plan, are prompted in part by the return of some operations that have been housed in leased buildings off campus. Bringing those offices back to the university not only saves money but unites the staff members with the rest of the Fresno State family.
By the way, a few upcoming moves will figure into permanent plans for the first floor of the University Center: an Outreach Center that will serve as a one-stop site offering vital information to prospective students and their parents. It will provide resources on everything from admissions to financial assistance as well as contacts for more in-depth information and material.
Cynthia Teniente-Matson, Vice-President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer, says the central location will make it easy to find on campus, providing its guests with ease of access and parking. Other advantages will include, for example, an up-close view of the striking Henry Madden Library that is just west of the center.
This type of move, Teniente-Matson says, is another step in advancing the university's long-term master plan and determining the best uses for Fresno State facilities in constraining budget times.
The programs slated to move into the Outreach Center is currently being developed. Check in with the Move-O-Scope for future updates on this exciting project.
Right now, though, the awestruck Move-O-Scope invites you to take an eye-popping look at the amazing number of transitions scheduled for July and the early part of August.
Recently completed are:
- July 6 -- The Interlibrary Loans office will move from Henry Madden Library 1110 to 1220 in the library.
- July 8 -- Several offices in McLane Hall's "H" wing that temporarily shifted this spring to the versatile University Center will return to their home sites. (Classroom/laboratory upgrades are being completed this summer in the wing.) The staff members moving back are from Public Health, Physical Therapy and the College of Health and Human Services Development as well as Nursing faculty.
- July 12 -- Educational Talent Search, an outreach program to high school students, is making a temporary transition. It will switch to Engineering East 220 until its permanent home is ready in the Outreach Center.
- July 14 -- The Bulldog Card Office, which issues the official ID accepted on campus, moves from Keats 103 to an interim home in University Center 201. It will be easy to find, just above Taco Bell. The office's long-term home is to be determined.
Happening soon are:
- Week of July 19 -- TILT along with its 12 staff and faculty members will move from the Industrial Technology building to Henry Madden Library 1106 and 1110.
- Week of July 19 -- The Student Support Services program and the Educational Opportunity Center, which have been housed together, will switch from Lab School 185F to their new office in Thomas 122. Nine staff members, plus a seven-station computer lab will make the move.
- Week of July 26 -- Environmental Health & Safety will move from Lab School 125 to Plant Operations.
- July 30 -- The Development Call Center, which plays a vital role in seeking donations and contributions to Fresno State, will shift from Lab School 108 to its new home in Keats 103.
- Week of Aug. 9 -- A large-scale move begins for Athletics Department offices responsible for communications, development, licensing, marketing and promotions and video services. These programs are in leased space at 1510 E. Shaw Ave. With this change, approximately 27 staff members, plus student assistants, will move into 5,060 square feet in Lab School 125 and 185F.
- August 12-16, offices from the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology that temporarily moved to the University Center this spring will return to their homes in the Agricultural Sciences building. The 1954 structure's heating, ventilation and air conditioning system is being renovated this summer.
- During the week of September 7th, Campus Information Systems, with its 26 staff members and two student assistants, will be moving from its leased space on Shaw Avenue to the Industrial Technology building.
University Center Filled With Temporary Residents
It didn't take long for Carmen Chapman to settle into her temporary home in the University Center. In fact, a delighted Move-O-Scope recently learned just how strongly Chapman has become attached to her summer place.
"It's great. We'd like to stay," says the administrative support coordinator for the Public Health Department.
In early June, the department's office staff was relocated to University Center 102 from McLane Hall's "H" wing because of classroom/laboratory renovations underway at the wing. Others temporarily housed in UC 102 are the Physical Therapy Department office staff; the Nursing Department faculty and Sylvia Miller; and the College of Health and Human Services Development office staff. All these folks are scheduled to move back to their home sites by late August.
Chapman and other Public Health Department staff members are in an area that includes large windows facing north toward the Free Speech Area and the University Student Union building.
"We have the windows ... There's a lot of natural light," says Chapman. "It's pretty roomy, and we're able to communicate with one another without walls between us. So far, so good."
She says the shift went easily. Ora Murray, administrative support coordinator for the Physical Therapy Department, agrees with that assessment.
"The move went very well," says Murray. "We're all settled in. We're working. We're being very productive."
In both cases, staff members mostly are using furniture available to the University Center. Some boxes of needed material had to be brought over, as well as printers and fax machines. Telephone numbers were kept intact, and computers were connected.
"We just had to kind of move into the space," Murray says of the smooth transition. " Everything is good."
And Murray, a 22-year Fresno State veteran, adds this: "It's the easiest move that I've had to make on campus."
Ag Science Residents Temporarily Move
With another academic year completed, many Fresno State students and faculty are enjoying a well-deserved break from classrooms, books and exams. It's a time to re-energize and relax, especially as the university prepares to celebrate its historic centennial in 2010-2011.
The Move-O-Scope, of course, is predicting wonderful moments during the centennial. But, in the meantime, the Scope has been busy keeping an eye on a number of temporary moves needed to accommodate renovations on campus.
A lot has happened since the May 22 commencement.
Faculty and staff in the north and south wings of the Agricultural Sciences building have moved to interim locations for the summer. We reported earlier this year that the 1954 structure's heating, ventilation and air conditioning system is being upgraded.
Here's where you can find these Plant Science faculty members this summer:
- Jim Farrar, Bruce Roberts and Dave Goorahoo are in University Center 202.
- John Bushoven is at the Ornamental Horticulture Unit.
- Anil Shrestha is in Agricultural Mechanics 103.
Members of the Animal Sciences and Agricultural Education faculty and staff are in these short-term locations:
- The department's office staff is in University Center 205.
- Anne Rodiek, Rosco Vaughn and Steven Rocca are in University Center 205.
- Scott Williamson is at the Swine Unit.
- John Henson is at the Meats Lab.
- Jon Robison is at the Dairy Unit.
In addition, about half the staff in McLane Hall's "H" wing made the temporary transition in the first days of June to University Center 102. During the summer, classroom/laboratory renovations are being done in the McLane wing.
The McLane faculty and staff now in UC 102 are: Public Health Department office staff; Physical Therapy Department office staff; Nursing Department faculty and Sylvia Miller; and College of Health and Human Services office staff.
All the offices mentioned in this update are scheduled to return to their home sites by late August.
