Last week, University President Lee Bollinger announced plans to move the present administration out of the Fleming Administration Building and into the basement and first floor of the more accessible Angell Hall by the year 2000. This proposed move out of the Fleming Administration Building is indeed a good idea on the part of the president, which unlike some of his predecessors, is making a conscious effort to be closer and more accessible to students. But the plan to move to Angell Hall may turn out to be less effective than originally thought, especially since some of the most vital student services are located in the basement and first floor of Angell Hall may be displaced.
Currently located at the basement of Angell Hall is the Office of the Registrar, which provides students with the means to register for or drop courses after the deadline or when CRISP is unavailable. Additionally, there is the Academic Advising Office, which is located on the first floor of Angell Hall, where students receive advice on class registration, concentrations and other undergraduate needs. These are two vital services that are frequently used by students during their time at the University, at least in part because they are centrally located on campus, making them very accessible.
A relocation of these services could result in an unacceptable lack of accessibility. In order for Bollinger's proposed plan to be effective and have a positive effect on the student body, the president needs to come up with a solution to find an accessible location for these basic services quickly. But with limited additional space throughout Central Campus, this would be a very difficult thing to do.
Other than student services, the offices of several academic units such as the Honors Program, the Great Books program and the English Composition Board are located in Angell Hall. As a result of the planned move, these departments would have to relocate, and with limited space currently available within the University, Bollinger's move could create a domino effect throughout campus. The possibility of mass relocation around the University would affect both the student body and faculty members.
The proposed relocation could turn Angell Hall into a low-usage building as the frequency of students accessing the senior administration would definitely be less than the quantity of students who currently visit academic advising and the other services. The move would definitely provide easier access for students to meet with the president, but increasing the frequency of students communicating with the president, while important, should not come at the price of access to students services that are vital to every student.
The president is definitely moving in the right direction in trying hard to be closer to students. But this process should not be carried out by removing vital services for students or by reducing the accessibility of these services. Bollinger should either consider a new location that is both accessible and has minimal effect on the student body or present a solution to find a new location where, when basic student services such as the Office of Registrar are relocated, these services would be as accessible to students as it is today.
11-04-98
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