Sam Dunaway | News Editor
Students sticking in Monmouth this summer might notice various construction projects happening around campus. From building renovations to complete relocations, read on to stay updated on changes coming up this summer.
Food Pantry
The Food Pantry is leaving its previous location in APSC and moving to the former Oregon Military Academy building. The relocation will occur near the end of spring term and the pantry will remain open during the summer. Food Pantry Director and senior psychology major Ashley Biles believes this new location will be beneficial, saying: “As we have grown we have realized the new for a new and bigger location — especially if we want to start having other items for our patrons such as clothing … I think that the biggest benefit will be having that larger space in order to keep growing the pantry. And to have a space that is more accessible for our food deliveries and for patrons to easily find us.”
Child Development Center
The Childhood Development Center, currently located in Todd Hall, will be moving to the University Park Conference Center. This building is newer than Todd Hall and can be completely locked, providing more safety to the children under its care. A dynamic outdoor classroom is being constructed from the large outdoor area and a more convenient drop-off location will benefit families, volunteers and children. The program itself is also growing, as Director of the Child Development Center Carey Gilbert explains: “We will also be expanding our services to include a toddler classroom for children 18 months to three years of age. This classroom will be in addition to our current programming of two preschool classrooms for children ages three to five years of age and our Afterschool Enrichment Program for children in kindergarten up to 10 years of age.
Natural Science
The Natural Science building is undergoing renovations beginning in 2018 and extending through 2019. Updates include repairing the heating and cooling system, updating bathrooms with the inclusion of a gender neutral bathroom, new showers and eyewash stations, renovations to the third floor greenhouse and general paint and lighting updates. Many professors’s offices will be temporarily relocated to the former College of Education building while work begins on the basement and second floor this summer. Summer classes will be moved to DeVolder Family Science Center and the basement and first floor will be open as usual in the fall.
Stonewall Center and SAB
The Student Activities Board will be occupying part of the previous Wolf Express location in the Werner University Center. An additional conference room, named the Metolius room, will also fill that space. The first floor space vacated by SAB will be filled by the Stonewall Center. 2018-2019 Stonewall Center Coordinator Susannah Doepken explained: “Having our own space will prove to be very beneficial in many ways. A lot of times, we have felt like our space is small and could be used in more productive and helpful ways if there was more space for more people to interact in the center at the same time. Now, with a bigger space, we will be able to offer more space for more people, growing the center as much as we can.”
Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu
Photo by: Paul F. Davis
