When the Office of Academic Advising was first created, Boynton Hall was the best place for it to be located. Computers were not in great use, and Academic Advising needed to be close to the Registrar so it could have immediate access to students records. Times have changed, though, and Academic Advising can now call up records through the campus computer system, so it no longer needs to be right next to the Registrar.
The Project Office often works in close conjunction with the Registrar when students are registering for projects. There are forms that need several signatures, and the new Projects Office location will help reduce the distance that students will have to travel.
Part of the reason for the merger of Minority Affairs and Multicultural Affairs was that Minority Affairs needed more secretarial support. Minority Affairs is now also right next to Student Affairs. The administration wanted to place Minority Affairs where it could have access to other administrative offices.
All of the offices involved agree that the moves will help them do the jobs they are meant to do. Ann Garvin is thrilled to be in the Project Center. "It made a lot of sense for us to move over here," she says. She feels that it is a "friendly, student oriented building" and that perhaps students will be more aware of the fact that the office is there for them. Moving the other offices into Boynton, she explains, may also help illustrate their importance in WPI's administration.