Student Centered

Most campus renovation and construction projects take place over the summer. Students often return to find positive changes to University buildings and grounds. This year, students will find significant changes to the Coates Center. This includes some exciting new directions in various spaces plus a subtle, but important, name change.

Quick history... Decades ago Counseling Services, on second floor across the bridge, employed a counselor who did only career counseling. Over time, the demands required a full career counseling staff. (One of the regular counselors also did accessibility work as part of her gig, and that blossomed into a full time position - now two, actually.. They are in the Tiger Learning Commons) Three years ago, as part of the Trinity Tomorrow strategic plan, a Center for Experiential Learning was created. Logically, it was decided to situate this area with Career Services. Counseling Services was moved, temporarily, to Halsell. Because Halsell will soon be part of the Chapman-Halsell renovation project, it was time to call Counseling Services back home to the Coates Center.

To accommodate that move, we had to do some re-arranging. The Trinity Bookstore has moved into the east wing of the Coates Center. Some may remember this being the former Mail Center, which was next to the Commons. By moving, the textbook area on second floor of Coates has been freed up and the entire floor has been renovated to better accommodate Career Services and Experiential Learning. (Several Experiential Learning staff members were in satellite offices in Coates.)

Student Involvement, formerly in the west wing, has been moved to the former first floor of the bookstore. That space promises to be dynamic and unconventional as the multiple floor and ceiling levels (and ramps) make this non-institutional, which is really appropriate for the space. Counseling Services is moving into the west wing.

Some highlights:
- The stairwell that connected both levels of the bookstore will now connect Student Involvement and the Career and Experiential areas. We hope this will create some dynamic synergies between students and staff. This will create a centrally-located and highly visible "Student Engagement Core" right in the heart of the building.
- There will be a new multi-cultural space in the Student Involvement area and adjacent to the office of the Director for Diversity and Inclusion.
- The lobby area, while losing some space to the bookstore, is expanded. The information area has been moved upstairs and the former offices were removed. This creates a walk-through to Einstein Brothers Bagels. That walkway is big enough to be closed off for receptions and as headquarters for various events, such as family weekends.
- Counseling Services has landed in the perfect spot. It is still centrally-located, but in a more private area of the building, affording students a little privacy as they enter and exit.
- The multi-faith prayer space will move from Parker Chapel to the Lennox Room upstairs near Skyline Room.

I have overseen the Coates Center at various times and am now a tenant. With other colleagues, I see it as an important building on campus that should be flexible, well-maintained, and inviting for students. My actions reflect this. I led the renovation efforts for the Skyline Room, the Fiesta Room and the removal of the mailboxes that took up valuable real estate in the building. I also coordinated the effort to refurnish the building a few years ago to make it more student-friendly. (Not trying to make this all about me - but just showing that I have a lot of skin in the game with this building!)

While the campus master plan calls for a full-renovation and re-imagining of this space in ten to 15 years, this will serve us well for at least that long. The building has a more modern feel to it. Additionally, while any renovation is costly, much of this one was cosmetic and not nearly as substantial as many that involve fully stripping buildings to their original foundations and slabs. It will still seem like the Coates Center and yet, not.

Additionally, the building name is changing from the Coates University Center to the Coates Student Center. This is an intentional effort to put students at the center of what we do. The Engagement Core underscores the importance of the student experience in this facility. With the additional open gathering spaces, the return of Counseling Services from the north edge of campus, and the more dynamic bookstore, this really should feel like the campus living room to our students. (Many facilities, including the library, the Bell Center, and CSI fashion themselves as campus hubs. Coates, though, is fully dedicated to the overall student experience.)

As part of the Aramark renovations the Commons will likely undergo some physical changes next summer (2019). In the meantime, we are all excited for the student reaction to the new-ish Student Center. I will not post too many pictures, so it will seem fresh when students return. While most offices will be staffed by the time the year begins, we will be fully prepared to show off the building to faculty, staff, and students as part of Fall Family Weekend.