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Arts & Sciences Hall Remodel Summer 2019

August 22, 2019

Colleagues,

We understand that many of you have been concerned about whether the first phase of the ASH renovation will be finished on Monday.  The construction manager has repeatedly promised us that we will be ready for classes on Monday morning.  That said, it is important to also put this summer’s renovations in some context.  As you know, Arts & Sciences Hall is an 80 year-old building that has a number of issues that needed to be addressed.  Many of these issues were a surprise to the architect, engineers, and construction manager.  In fact, there were over $1 million in change orders this summer.  This means that $1 million in additional work was done on the building that was not planned for in January.  In most cases, these are renovations that we will not be able to see, but they are above the ceiling tiles, behind the walls, and underneath new flooring.    

Thanks for understanding! 

I also want to take some time to update you on a few aspects of the renovation of Arts & Sciences Hall and how these might affect operations in our college for the next few days.  

First, everyone should immediately notice the improved lighting in the hallways of the first, second, and third floors!  Fourth floor should come next summer. 

Second, the HVAC in the building is significantly improved.  Temperatures should be 72 degrees, +/- two degrees.  If anyone thinks the temperature in their office or classroom varies from that, please us know. 

Third, all restrooms should be operational on Monday morning.  On the first and second floors, the men’s rooms are on the East side (renovated) and the women’s restrooms are on the West side (not renovated).  On the third and fourth floors, the women’s restrooms will be on the East side (renovated) and the men’s restrooms will be on the West side for the 2019-20 academic year.  The third and fourth floor will change after the West stack of restrooms is renovated next summer.  Please pay attention to the signs.  

Fourth, a lactation room and a gender-neutral restroom were added on the East side of the first floor.  These should be ready for the first day of classes. 

Fifth, we have new tablet arm chairs starting to arrive on Friday for ASH.  All of the new chairs will not be in place on Monday.  We are getting approximately 750 chairs.  It takes some time to assemble the chairs and swap them out with the chairs in the building.  They are starting on the first floor and working their way to the third.  All of these chairs have casters on the bottom, which allows students to easily move them for group work, etc. 

Sixth, we have been promised that all classrooms in ASH will be operational on Monday morning.  Let me make a few comments about these rooms.

  • Renovated Classrooms:  I believe there are eleven classrooms that were renovated this summer.  These rooms have new lighting, paint, and audio visual.  Next summer we will add new carpet and blinds.  If you teach in one of these rooms, please allow yourself extra time to become acquainted with the new AV.  Our IT department indicated they will have a video explaining the technology soon.  There are some new features that we did not have previously.  It is possible that there may be some “hiccups” on Monday/Tuesday.  If that is the case, please be patient and have a backup plan for your class. 
  • ASH 101:  This room no longer has a sloped floor! It is now what is referred to as a “flex” classroom.  Aside from the teaching station by the door, the room has nine monitors where students can work in groups.  Our IT department indicated they will have a video explaining the technology soon.  Please also note that this room can still be used as a traditional classroom.
  • All Other Classrooms:  The remainder of the classrooms were not renovated, however, it is still possible there could be issues with AV in the room on Monday/Tuesday.  Again, please be patient and prepared in the event there are.  These rooms will be renovated next summer.
  • Computer Labs:  Computer labs may not be completely operational on Monday/Tuesday, but classes should still be able to meet in those rooms.  Please be patient here.  As many of you know, Tyler Radke took a new position in the private sector, which left our IT Director, Gary Meyer, understaffed.  Gary and Joan Bell have been working very long days to get our labs set up as quickly as possible, but there are hiccups.  AND, remember that Gary is responsible for labs in Allwine and Durham Science Center as well.  Please be patient.  They have been putting in a lot of extra hours.

Seventh, new data cables were pulled in offices and classrooms on the first and second floors.  It is possible that there could be an issue in a particular office or room.  If that is the case, please let us know ASAP.  At this point in the process, do not assume that someone knows about the issue that pops up. 

Eighth, telephones in all buildings are being replaced (ASH first).  Office associates in ASH should have already been in touch with faculty about this.  Again, please be patient.  There are 200+ telephones that must be programmed in our building.  Telephones in Allwine and Durham will be replaced later in the Fall term. 

I’ll be in touch with other updates in the near future. 

Thanks. 

Cordially, 

Randy

 

August 1, 2019

Colleagues,

I am writing to update you on some important issues related to the ASH renovation. 

First, movers will arrive on Monday in temporary work spaces of staff in CPACS, DSC, and Weber to move boxes and office chairs back to ASH.  Gary will be coming around on Tuesday and Wednesday to move computers and other technology for those staff.  Please note that it is possible that there may be staff from IT that are available to move computers on Monday, but we can’t promise that at this time.

Second, keycard access to the building has been going up and down the past few days.  Given that the building is currently under construction, keycards will only work from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  Once classes start, keycards will continue to work until 15 minutes after the last class or event scheduled in the building lets out for the evening. 

Third, the East stack of restrooms (new men’s room) will not be open until the first day of classes.  Until then, the West restrooms on the first and fourth floor will serve as men’s restrooms and the second and third floor will serve as women’s restrooms.  Once classes start, the West stack of restrooms (first through fourth floors) will serve as the women’s restrooms until they are renovated next summer.  The restrooms are appropriately labeled.  So, everyone can double-check the labels on the door before entering.

Fourth, telephones may not be working right away because everyone in the building will be transitioned to new VOIP telephones.  Beth Coughlin will be coming around next week to discuss telephone options with each of the offices.  There are a lot of telephones in the building.  So, this will take some time, but the priority will be to get new phones for office associates. 

Fifth, the construction team is responsible for cleaning the building and returning it to us in a reasonable condition.  However, the building has been under construction all summer and it got pretty dirty in some places.  So, if there are things that the cleaning team missed or didn’t do a great job, please e-mail Nick Jones at njones@mecohenne.com ASAP.  I need to note that there were some offices where the horizontal surfaces were not cleared.  In those cases, the cleaning crew really couldn’t clean the office appropriately. 

Also, computers were unplugged and set aside in faculty offices so that the contractors could move furniture to get to data ports.  As many of you know, Tyler Radke has taken another position, and his replacement has not started yet.  Our IT Director for the College, Gary Meyer, has informed me doesn’t have sufficient staff to come around and plug computers back in.  The good news is that according to Gary most people should be able to plug their computer back in on their own by just plugging the computer into the electrical outlet and the Ethernet wire into the data port.  For those who still have problems, please reach out to Gary or Joan Bell for assistance.

Sixth, the construction team assured me that they did the best they could to put furniture back in it’s original spot, but if they completely missed the location please e-mail Nick. 

Last, at this time all classroom spaces are still considered “under construction.”  This includes the 12 classrooms that are being renovated for the 2019-20 academic year and the other classrooms that are being used as “storage” by the construction company.  I have been assured that all classrooms will be operational by the first day of classes.

I will be out of town from Friday, August 2, through the end of next week.  However, I will still try to respond to e-mail and forward to the appropriate person.  Please understand that I will not be as responsive as usual.  If you can’t reach me, please contact the project manager, Brad Muehling at bmuehling@nebraska.edu.

Thanks.

Cordially,

Randy

 

July 5, 2019

Colleagues,

Some units were scheduled to begin moving back into ASH as early as Monday, July 8.  Unfortunately, that is now delayed until the week of Monday, July 22.  An updated timeline is provided below. 

 

START

END

TASK

Monday, May 20

Friday, July 19

Must request 24 hours in advance to get into ASH for any reason

Monday, July 22

Wednesday, July 24

Limited departments moving personal items & files back into ASH (Air Force ROTC, Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office, Arts & Sciences Advising Office, International Programs)

Thursday, July 25

Friday, July 26

Limited departments moving computers & phones back into ASH (Air Force ROTC, Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office, Arts & Sciences Advising Office, International Programs)

Monday, August 5

Wednesday, August 7

Remaining departments moving personal items & files back into ASH

Thursday, August 8

Friday, August 9

Remaining departments moving computers & phones back into ASH

 Also, note that from Monday, July 22, to Monday, August 5, ASH will only be accessible through the main entrances on the North and South sides of the building.  Hallway access will also be extremely limited.

Please call or e-mail if you have any questions.

Thanks.

Cordially,

Randy

 

May 23, 2019

Colleagues,

With the renovations on Arts & Sciences Hall, one very important issue that we are concerned with is that students continue to find advising accessible, both at the college- and department-levels.  We are hoping to provide some clarification on what options exist for advising this summer during the renovations.

For transfers, freshman majors and undeclared students: 

The College Advising Office is temporarily located in Kayser Hall 234 and the main phone number is still the same, 402.554.2458. They can also be reached at unoasadvising@unomaha.edu.

For majors who are sophomore level and higher: 

These students are best served by continuing with our usual advising model of faculty/professional advisors within the programs.  For students in programs outside of the ASH building, nothing really has changed for the summer.  However, for those normally housed in ASH, we want to make sure that faculty understand that there are still spaces on campus where they can meet with students for advising when advising by e-mail or phone is not in the best interest of the student.  Given that ASH is not accessible,

There are many common spaces on campus where faculty can meet with students for advising:

  • CEC, first floor common area
  • Criss Library, first floor common area
  • MBSC, second floor dining area
  • Scott campus, Maverick Landing has a large common space

We also have two designated spaces that faculty can meet with students for advising:

  • CPACS 122 (conference room).  There is a sign-up sheet on the door.  Please work with your department’s office associate to determine when the room is reserved.
  • Kayser Hall 240 (if not open, Amy or Melissa in 234 can open it)

Please pass this information along to your faculty, and let us know if you have questions.  Thanks.  

Cordially,

Randy and Rachel 

 

 

May 9, 2019

MavDaily Announcement

May 7, 2019

Colleagues,

 Summer Parking Enforcement

Beginning May 13 to August 16, all valid permits will be able to park on Faculty/Staff and Student surface lots and garages, in general use stalls only. You must have a valid hourly/daily, semester or annual permit to park on campus.

The restrictions of your annual permit will be relaxed to be valid in any garage or faculty/staff or student lot on both Dodge and Scott Campuses.

 Cordially,

 Randy

April 29, 2019

Colleagues,

I want to update you on two things regarding the move for the ASH renovation.

First, we will need to take our own trash cans.  You can feel free to carry your trash can over to your new workspaces, however, if you want the movers to move it, then it needs to be labeled as per the moving instructions.

Second, the first shipment of boxes arrived in ASH 240.  It can be a little tricky.  So, here is a YouTube video on how to assemble them. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di-mU9gCnOw

Thanks.

Cordially,

Randy

 

April 25, 2019

Colleagues,

Please see the attached memo from Joyce Neujahr, the Assistant Dean in Criss Library, regarding the use of the Library this summer.

Thanks.

Cordially,

Randy

 

April 22, 2019

Colleagues,

This notice is being sent with regards to construction work that will be done in Arts & Sciences Hall (ASH) over the summer of 2019.

We know everyone housed in ASH is being inconvenienced by this temporary move. Thank you for your cooperation in helping maintain and improve Arts and Sciences Hall, one of Omaha’s significant historical structures. The completed renovation will not only benefit us, but more importantly, will benefit our current and future students.

Building Status and Access

As many of you know, ASH is under major renovation impacting all portions of thebuilding. The construction scope of work includes major overhaul of all heating,venting and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, plumbing and electrical systems. Restrooms, classrooms and other public areas are also getting refurbished. The original construction strategy was to remodel one half of the building over the summer of 2019 and the remainder the summer of 2020. It has now been determined that remaining occupied over the summer of 2019 will be too disruptive to ongoing University operations and will also be less efficient for the construction workers. Therefore, it was determined that University personnel will relocate temporarily out of ASH from May 2019 to August 2019.

Arts & Sciences Hall will be closed from Friday, May 10 until Monday, August 5. Starting Monday, July 8, the Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office, Arts & Sciences Advising Office, the International Programs Office, and ROTC will be permitted to begin moving back in. Anyone needing to access the Dean’s Office, Advising Office, or International Programs must do so through the North entrance in the center of the building. The ROTC Office will be accessible only through the South entrance in the center of the building. All other offices will begin to move back in on Monday, August 5.

Hard hats are required in ASH hallways from May 13-August 5. Faculty and staff should not be in the building unless escorted by Randy Adkins or Nick Jones. Access can be obtained on a limited basis at 4:00 p.m. Monday-Friday with 24-hour notice (e-mail Randy at radkins@unomaha.edu).

Please plan ahead. It is not necessary to pack offices, however, take anything critically necessary to continue work in your new work location. Take home anything perishable (e.g. food, plants) or valuable. Please clear all horizontal surfaces except for computers (e.g. papers, pictures, etc.)and make sure floor around workstations is clear so that desks can be moved to access Ethernet and telephone connections.

Temporary Office Locations

Staff: Temporary offices are being set up for staff. The temporary room assignment handout is attached to this communication, which identifies who is moving and where temporary workstations will be. Most staff will be sharing office spaces created in unused classrooms. Furniture is being rented over the summer and, except for task chairs, we will not be removing office furniture or appliances from ASH. Detailed moving instructions, schedule of events and frequently asked questions are attached to this communication. We apologize in advance for the disruptions and inconveniences this temporary relocation will cause you. For your safety and comfort, moving out of ASH during the summer construction work in 2019 is the best situation.

  • Allwine Hall (3rd Floor): International Programs
  • CPACS (1st Floor): A&S Dean’s Office and office associates
  • CPACS (TV/Radio): School of Communications staff
  • Durham (1st Floor): Human Rights, Native American Studies, PSCI Graduate Advisor, Schwalb Center
  • Durham (3rd Floor): OLLAS
  • Kayser (2nd Floor): A&S Advising Office
  • Kayser (5th Floor): ROTC
  • Weber (2nd Floor): Western History Association

Faculty: Unfortunately, there is simply not sufficient space on campus to relocate faculty. Faculty may want to consider using the faculty study area in Criss Library. Faculty are strongly urged to change both their telephone message in their office and their e-mail signature to reflect this (see below).

 

Moving Schedule and Support
Start End Task
Friday, May 3 End of Spring Semester
Saturday, May 4 Monday, May 6 Setting up temporary work stations
Tuesday, May 7 Wednesday, May 8 Moving computers & phones out
Thursday, May 9 Friday, May 10 Moving personal items & files out
Monday, May 13 Begin using temporary offices
Monday, May 13 Friday, May 17 4:00 p.m. - Can be escorted through ASH
Monday, May 20 Friday, July 5 Must request 24 hours in advance to enter ASH for any reason
Monday, July 8 Monday, July 12 Limited departments moving back into ASH
Monday, August 5 Friday, August 9 Remaining departments moving back into ASH

Boxes are on order and will be available in ASH 240 when they arrive. We will notify everyone as soon as they are available. Faculty are also welcome to use boxesif needed. Unless absolutely necessary, please do not take more than two boxes. Movers will be here to move boxes for staff on the dates listed on the schedule.

 

Communications

Here are some script suggestions for faculty and staff to use for telephone and email. 

Phone: Hello, you’ve reached the office of X. I (we) are currently away from the office right now, but please leave a message and I (we) will return your call as soon as possible. Please note that our office has been temporarily moved for summer 2019 only due to renovations in Arts and Sciences Hall. We are currently located in X Hall, room XXX. We will return to our regular location in early August, 2019.

Email signature line suggestion:
First and Last Name
Position (e.g. Office Associate)
X Department
Temporary Summer 2019 Office Location (due to renovation) X Hall, room XXX

Out of Office email message: I will be out of the office from (day of the week, month, date) through (day of the week, month, date) and will return on (day of the week,month, date). Please note that the Department/Office of X is temporarily being housedfrom May 13 through August 9 in X Hall, room XXX, due to renovations in Arts and Sciences Hall. You can reach the main office via telephone at 402-554-XXXX.

Thanks in advance for embracing our Maverick Spirit -- exemplifying strength, resilience, curiosity, independent thinking, and entrepreneurism in our everyday deeds and collective endeavors.

Any questions should be directed to Randy Adkins at radkins@unomaha.edu or 402.554.3642.

Respectfully submitted,

Brad Muehling, Project Manager, University of Nebraska
Randy Adkins, Associate Dean, College of Arts & Sciences