Among the most well-publicized of the campus construction projects was the work done on the residence halls. These projects were mostly coordinated by Campus Planning and Facilities Design and included the renovations of Crockett, Nason, and Hall Halls. Additionally, as of the end of this summer, sprinklers were installed in all residence halls and there were a number of improvements made to the fire alarm systems across campus.

Above and beyond these life safety projects, a lot of work was done to the on-campus apartments. Roofs were replaced on the Russo, Wilse, and Williams buildings of Stackwyck. New, more energy-

efficient windows were also put in Thompson Hall.

The Rensselaer Apartment Housing Project has also undergone some security upgrades. Most noticeably, new doors and windows have been installed in the apartments, with new hardware being installed on the doors, an addition that had some energy benefits. According to Mark Frost, director of the Physical Plant, the new hardware also “reduces noise … but the main driver was security.”

According to Dr. Jackson, an “upperclass residence hall [is] under design.” While plans have not yet been finalized, the favorite choice seems to be a gardenstyle apartment style complex. Jackson, along with the Board of Trustees, will be looking at incorporating this residence hall in the upcoming years.

As this residence hall plan becomes more concrete, North Hall will be phased out, although the large freshman class may put these plans off for a few years. Plans currently place the new residence hall near RAHPs. “The future of residence hall living is on east campus rather than on core campus,” said Jackson.

While the work on the residence halls is important, it isn’t the only work that’s been done over the course of the summer. A lot of improvements have been made across campus.

One of the major projects that will be taken on in the near future is another phase of exterior lighting and call box installations. In addition, the electronic parking gates and controls will be put into use once transducers arrive, most likely in the month of September. This represents more work being done towards the improvement of security across campus.

A lot of work has also been done on south campus, which “…will become more of a focal point for student services,” said Vice President for Administration Claude Rounds. Since this past spring, the Office of the First Year Experience; the Dean of Students Office, along with all of the services offered by the office; the portion of the Archer Center which had formerly been located in West Hall; and the Student Health Center have been relocated to Academy Hall.

In the future, there are plans to move more of the Archer Center, Registrar, Bursar, and Office of Financial Aid to Academy Hall when the second phase commences, which will coincide with the completion of the Center for Biotechnology, said Rounds. This will help create “one-stop shopping for student services” added Vice President for Student Life Eddie Ade Knowles.

A project that has been continued from last spring is the replacement of the roof on Sage Labs. According to Rounds, once the roof is done on Sage, an aggressive painting program of the window frames will commence.

There are also the more obvious improvements: new construction. The Center for Biotechnology is continuing as scheduled and the parking garage is well underway. Also, the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center will have ground broken later this month. Less publicized projects include building a new boiler plant, a new chiller plant, and a power substation. These projects have been planned to absorb the increased demand that will come from the new campus construction. According to Frost, the new substation may also come to gradually replace the old station over the course of a few years.

While they seem to be a lot of work, these projects represent a small portion of the work being done across campus. In the upcoming years, major capital investments will be made in improving campus.