Dear University of Rochester students and learners,
With the start of the fall semester in full swing, I’m sure you have begun to notice several positive changes around campus. These improvements are the culmination of months of hard work from our dedicated faculty and staff, and they are a direct result of the valuable feedback you provided last year.
Whether it was in your survey responses or direct conversations you had with me or key members of the staff, we heard you when you said that there needs to be stronger Wi-Fi, expanded dining options, and improved housing. More importantly, we understand that these improvements, which also include continued support for student advising and additional services through UHS, are important to your success and to your time at Rochester. I’m happy to detail some of the work below, and to let you know even more upgrades and improvements are on the way!
Wi-Fi Improvements
We’re entering our second year of a $5 million wireless upgrade project for the academic campuses that will provide a robust state-of-the-art wireless network, improving mobility and allowing users to access resources, collaborate, and engage in any number of activities that require a high-speed internet connection. This past year, University IT completed upgrades in Rush Rhees Library, Wilson Commons, Susan B. Anthony Halls, Hill Court, Burton, Crosby, Anderson, and Wilder Towers. We should also have Wi-Fi upgrades for Lovejoy and Tiernan complete by the start of the semester. This year we’ll work on improving Wi-Fi in other residence halls and a variety of other buildings across our campuses.
Dining
This summer the Dining Team has been working on making improvements to food variety, quality, and speed of service at all locations. Our chefs have built all new menus at Danforth, Douglass, and Eastman that will feature new rotating menu concepts along with weekly specialty options to ensure more variety with a focus on healthy, locally sourced items and authentic flavors. Look for the expanded menus and all new infused-water hydration stations, spice stations, and made-from-scratch desserts. Dining will also host two or three pop-up special events every week throughout the year to highlight chef specialties, new partners, and products. Information on special events, hours of operation and daily menus can be found on the Dining Services website.
University Health Service
UHS is introducing two new services that will offer products such as Plan-B, pregnancy tests, menstrual products, safe sex products, and some over-the-counter medications. They recently installed a vending machine called Wellness on Demand in the vestibule of the UHS building that will be available 24 hours a day at no cost to students. This fall we will introduce Wellness on Wheels, a mobile cart driven and staffed by UHS peer health advocates that will be making the rounds across our campuses. I am also pleased to say that the University Counseling Center (UCC) is fully staffed, including a new position that will provide counseling in primary care and substance abuse. UCC also continues to offer a range of therapy groups each semester, with teletherapy options and in-person visits for consultations and individual therapy. For more information, visit the UCC website. We expect to announce several other improvements to UHS in the near future as well.
Facilities
University Facilities has been focused on more than a dozen projects this summer to freshen up the campus and improve the experiences for our students, faculty, and staff. Some of those projects include upgrades to stairs and building entries in the residence quad, masonry and structural repairs to residence buildings, an ADA-compliant access ramp in the fraternity quad, new or reupholstered furniture in multiple lounges, new flooring and bathroom vanities in the upper three floors of Brooks Crossing, and much more.
Meanwhile, we expect to launch a University-wide plan for improving campus housing this academic year, and we look forward to working with students and colleagues as we determine our first steps in this plan.
College Center for Advising Services
As many of you know, Rebecca Fletcher Roberts joined us on July 10 to serve as the next Suzanne Jagel O’Brien Executive Director for the College Center for Advising Services (CCAS). As executive director, Rebecca will play a critical role guiding the advising activities and setting the direction for the program. I know that Rebecca’s demonstrated history of developing and implementing advising initiatives and her passion for student success will serve us well as we move forward with the University’s strategic plan and continue to develop our institution as a place of boundless possibility.
And these are just the beginning. To continue these improvements and ensure that our students and learners have the best experience possible, we created the new position of Vice President for Student Life (VPSL) that will oversee student life programming across the University. I am happy to announce that John Blackshear will hold this new position. John’s primary focus will be to work with my office and other essential partners across the University to ensure that all student services enrich student life, encourage student success, and contribute to an environment that encourages opportunities for belonging, personal growth, and academic development. John will also work with many students and colleagues across the University to identify the improvements to student life that will make the biggest difference for you.
I wish you all a successful and rewarding fall semester and thank you for the excellence you bring to this institution, and for your ongoing commitment to making Rochester a place where ideas flourish, and where we strive to make the world ever better.
Best,
David
David Figlio (he/him)
Provost and Gordon Fyfe Professor of Economics and Education
University of Rochester