Residence Life Undertakes Renovations in Harrington Hall and Vanier Hall This Summer

 

Published: Friday, Jul 27, 2012

This summer the university has been working on renovations in two residences.

Renovations to the foyer are being completed in Vanier and Harrington Hall. There will be new flooring, new lighting and new furniture in the foyers of both buildings, along with a new coat of paint in these areas. In addition, new office space for the Residence Advisors in both buildings is also being constructed.

Renovations to Harrington Hall also include creating a second lounge area on the main level and building some kitchen facilities.

Director of Student Life and Retention Nancy O’Shea said she hopes these renovations will be part of a series of developments to improve students’ residence experience.

“It’s a small start, but an important first step to make residence more comfortable, welcoming and attractive for our students,” said O’Shea.

Making residence a more comfortable place to live

Clayton Beaton, Residence Manager, said the time had come to start making changes in the buildings, which are some of the oldest on campus.

Beaton said he hopes that by improving the surroundings and providing a more functional office setting for the RAs, the students’ overall residence experience will improve.

He added that the university wanted to ensure they were making some of the improvements residents wanted to see.

“We’ve asked students about some things that they want and what we can begin to improve. This is a start and there’s no time like the present,” said Beaton.

“The work that we are doing provides some much needed renovations on both buildings, and I think it’s a really exciting project for the students that’ll be living there. We’re never satisfied with the status quo and we’re always looking to improve, and that’s what we’re doing now,” he added.

Residence Advisors will have a more visible workspace

Up until now, the Residence Advisors’ offices in both Harrington and Vanier weren’t being used. O’Shea said she felt it was important to put them back into use and increase their visibility.

Windows were added where the mailboxes used to be and will give the RAs a comfortable place to work.

Both Beaton and O’Shea felt it was necessary for the RAs to have an office they could work out of.

“I think it’s important for the RAs, but also for the residents. The RAs will have a fully functioning work space where they can set-up for the evening and students know exactly where to find their RAs in-between rounds. If a resident needs something, there is a central location for students and they know where to go all the time,” said Beaton.