Departments on the move

Students and faculty have found themselves learning how to renavigate campus as construction continues to complete the Student Success Center. While there will be a major benefit in the near future by having this new space on campus, it currently brings a lot of readjustments for everyone involved. All across campus, students and staff are feeling the changes in a variety of ways. Staff have to adjust to new workspaces and students have to figure out where their professors, academic departments and campus resources are now located. 

One of the staff members affected by these changes is Amanda Poston, the Assistant Director of the Academic Resource Center.  When she started in 2023, Poston knew there were plans for the ARC to have a permanent home. Three years ago, the ARC was based in the library. When the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) was created, ARC was relocated to N316 in Tower Hall next to the ACE and advising offices in order to provide a more seamless support for students. 

The location change was always supposed to be temporary as a new building was expected to be ready for the start of the 2024 academic year. However, construction delays resulted in a new timeline and did not commence until 2025. 

“It has always been the plan since I started,” Poston said about the eventual move. 

In order to continue providing services, the department has changed how it provides services. 

“Right now, we are offering by appointment only tutoring and utilizing the library for appointments since we do not yet have a location,” Poston said.

One of the challenges the ARC has faced is ensuring students know where to go for services and resources. Poston said that despite signs and postings around campus, students can still be confused about where resources have moved. 

“Students are still coming into N320 for financial aid, even though there are signs posted around campus and a sign on the door informing them of the move,” Poston said. 

She is looking forward to having one permanent space and location. According to her, a single office will make finding her and the services students need easier for all involved.

As part of a larger campus reorganization, the department of criminal and social justice had a very different experience, according to professor Dr. Anastasios Goulos. The department moved from Donovan Hall to Tower Hall. He learned that the department would be moving approximately five months before the relocation occurred, providing ample time to inform current and prospective students.

Throughout that timeframe the departments worked with university staff to accommodate the relocation, and Dr. Goulos described the process as manageable. He encouraged student involvement by allowing them to help decorate the lounge area and the club board outside the new location.

Dr. Goulos viewed the relocation positively and said the department faced no major challenges. He also added that students had no difficulty finding his new office because the communication regarding the new location was clearly communicated by the department and the university.

The advantage of the new location has allowed for better student utilization of the department resources.

“Student traffic maintains the same flow and is even better with the comfortable lounge area that is directly outside my new office,” Dr. Goulos said.

The University of St. Francis' security department also found a new home within Tower Hall. Carol Murnick, an employee of 15 years in the security department, learned about the relocation of their department at the end of May 2026. The security office moved as part of the changes taking place across campus. Although their new office was around the corner from the previous one, it did involve more than simply packing a few boxes. 

Murrick said the security department had to coordinate with the internet and technology (IT) department as part of their transition because it included moving cameras and computer systems. The entire process lasted approximately three to four days. One of the bigger challenges was relocating important equipment including safety key boxes, master key boxes and the emergency phone system. Maintenance and IT were pivotal in the department move because of the breakdown and set up of technology involved, as everything needed proper setup.

Murrick said some students initially had difficulty finding the new location, although being close to the old office certainly helped. The university also added additional signage outside the new security office.

On a more personal level, Murrick misses the face-to face interaction with students that the previous location provided. 

“I miss the face-to-face contact I had with the students at the front,” said Murrick. 

Even with this, she does not believe the move has impacted the ease of which students can access security services. Murrick said the department still receives a good number of visitors and wants students to know that security is available if they need help. If the department were to move again, Murrick suggested that earlier notices and better communication would make the process smoother.

Each department has had a different experience with moving around campus. After being shuffled around campus, the ARC is still waiting for a permanent location because of the construction delays. On the other hand, the criminal and social justice department had a smoother move because they had time to prepare and communicate with students. Security also had a unique experience because of all of the cameras, computers, and confidential items they had to move while still making sure that security could be accessible and run smoothly.

The thing that made a difference for these relocated departments was communication. Those who had more time to communicate with campus members and were informed early enough were able to easily adapt to these changes. When students know ahead of time that an office is moving and where it will be located, it can make the change easier. However, even with signs and other precautions, some students still ended up going to old locations. 

With construction continuing around campus, students and staff may need more time to adjust to these changes. Moving to a new location can be confusing at first, but as long as the departments have continued to do their jobs and provide services to student students; campus will soon adjust to all these changes.