With the start of a new year, the university is working on several large projects for 2013.
“The new year will see the university community completing a new strategic plan which will incorporate academic, research and financial plans all in one,” Carleton president Roseann Runte said.
This year is supposed to see the completion of library renovations this summer, the return of Ravens football and a homecoming, and a new sexual assault support centre is supposed to be constructed by March.
Other changes will include beginning work on the Herzberg building, renovating more labs in the Steacie building and a plan for a new parking facility, Runte said.
Library:
Library renovations officially began Sept. 2011, with hammers actually hitting walls as of January 2012, associate university librarian Valerie Critchley said.
Critchley said the renovations will include two new floors added to the west extension and a five floor expansion to the front (east) part of the library.
“The increase in student space will allow the creation of new types of spaces that will allow students to use the library in different ways depending on their needs,” Critchley said.
One of these changes will be a Discovery Centre which is meant to encourage interactive work with a variety of technology and multimedia tools.
In addition, there will be a research area with a more traditional library setting, meant to highlight and encourage the use of the library’s special collections.
“The project should be finished by the end of summer 2013 and will include the return of an enlarged café in the building,” she said.
Sexual Assault Support Centre:
The new sexual assault support centre is scheduled to open by the end of March 2013.
In addition to the services already offered (information, referrals, safety planning, short-term counselling, public education and training to students), the centre will be accessible to the community, said Carrolyn Johnston, equity advisor and co-ordinator of sexual assault services, via email.
The centre will also facilitate student involvement by having student volunteers as public educators and peer supporters.
This will provide the opportunity for groups to use the space for events related to sexual assault awareness and as well as allowing the centre to run workshops and information sessions and support groups on campus in a central location.
“Having a centre on campus demonstrates to the campus community that the university takes its commitment to supporting survivors of sexual assault very seriously and reflects the importance of discussing sexual assault and its impacts in an open, honest manner,” Johnston said.
Homecoming:
Nearly 14 years since the Ravens last played, 2013 will see a football revival at Carleton as well as homecoming.
Homecoming is an opportunity for alumni to come back onto campus to reconnect with their alma mater in and around a varsity sporting event, which in this case is football, said Ryan Flannagan, Carleton’s director of student affairs.
“If done well, homecoming can be a special event where alumni and students alike get to participate in various events and build wonderful memories,” Flannagan said.
Flannagan says Student Affairs plans to establish a series of activities leading up to the university’s homecoming game and then a series of events on game day.
A homecoming council of students is being put together to direct this idea.
