The new Carl and Ruth Shapiro Campus Center is scheduled to open in the fall, but the transition into the new building has already begun. The facility will house the new offices of several Brandeis clubs and organizations, including Student Events, the Waltham Group, the Justice and WBRS. The Department of Residence Life will also be relocated.At this time, a number of steps have been taken to ensure a smooth transition. Coordinating phone lines is only one example of the planning undertaken. Members of Student Life and Student Leaders have been working with clubs to cultivate information about the phone moves; Director of Student Activities Kristine Asselin and Assistant Dean of Student Life Alwina Bennett have worked with the transition's project managers and ITS regarding specific details.

At a recent meeting between students and administration involved in the transition, discussion centered on the importance of having key response agents in the new building during opening so that student groups will know to whom they should turn when they have questions or concerns about their new space.

Project Managers Pam Gentile and John Cummings have also discussed the idea of having a "Welcome to your new office ..." guide available when organizations move in so that they know whom to call and see should they have trouble. Furthermore, heads of student organizations had an opportunity to meet with various University administrators and designers to discuss their needs in the new building.

The new student center will house a 249-seat theater in addition to offices for many campus organizations: Archon, the Brandeis Media Collection (BMC), Brandeis TV (BTV), Health Education Leadership Program, Food For Thought, the Student Life Leadership Development Center, Photo Club/Darkroom, Students For Environmental Action (SEA) and Environmental Groups (SEEd, BURP, and others), Student Sexuality Information Services (SSIS), the Student Union, Student Activities, Student Development and Judicial Education, Third Eye Film Club, the Watch, Women's Resource Center, and Triskelion.

The campus center will include additional conveniences. According to the University website, "The Campus Center will also incorporate a second performance space (a large multi-purpose room), to accommodate a broad range of performances, lectures, films and other activities. The new bookstore, relocated from Usdan, will provide an expanded selection of books and products, while the new electronic library will provide 24-hour study lounges and computer support services, tailored to both group discussion and individual study. The atrium will be a two-story space that will accommodate performances and displays of art and will provide lounge spaces for students and visitors. A function room will also accommodate student art exhibitions."

There are six committees that will consist of transition team members to ensure a smooth move: Governance, job descriptions and training, programming, communication, policy and protocol, and outreach. These committees and their functions are still being worked out.

"There will be some obvious overlap between the committees. All groups will be coming together periodically to review the proposals being made, and to ensure that all groups are moving forward in the appropriate direction," Asselin wrote in a recent memo.

The new campus center will be a student-run, administration-supported collaboration.

Both have already helped select and guide the transition team and enabled those students to understand the importance of what they will be doing this summer.

Adam Herman '04 has been selected by the Department of Student Activities to be a Building Manager in the new campus center. Before officially moving into that role, he has continued to participate in meetings with a variety of University administrators about the transition. "I had the opportunity to participate in a tour of the new Campus Center led by Project Manager John Cummings and it's going to be absolutely beautiful," Herman said.

Students thinking of beautiful places at Brandeis, all too often, think only of places outside. The Student Center — with its beautiful open glass areas and atrium — promises to be a spectacular edifice that generations of Brandeisians will have as a focal point for community.

"The campus center will not replace many of the other centers of activity on our campus, but will definitely be a new community area that will dramatically enhance the ability of students to interact in a hub of activity," he said.