CAMPUS RENEWAL PROJECT: BUILDING A FUTURE, LEAVING A LEGACY By Nancy Harper
INNOVATIVE BUILD HELPS TRANSFORM THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE With academic and residence buildings bursting at the seams — and a tiny six-acre campus leaving nowhere to grow — the message for the decisionmakers at St. Jerome’s University was clear: Find ways to innovate, or risk everything by doing nothing. To that end, a $47-million campus renewal project is nearing completion — and it’s not only getting top marks from within the University itself, but it’s also attracting attention on the national stage.
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“We had no space to grow. We were at a point where we had renovated every piece of space. We were stagnant — and when evolution gets stuck, it starts shrinking and leads to extinction.” — President and Vice Chancellor Dr. Katherine Bergman
“It was important for the University to embark on this path because if we didn’t, the writing was on the wall,” says St. Jerome’s University President and Vice Chancellor Dr. Katherine Bergman. Having invested virtually nothing in new infrastructure since 1995, Bergman says, it was critical to take a strategic look at the entire organization to decide what type of build made the most sense — because even though the buildings were structurally sound, the internal mechanics were 60 years old and couldn’t support the evolving needs of students and employees.
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What the decision-makers were hearing was that parents loved the academic programs, but they didn’t want their kids living in a cramped, outdated residence or studying in small, crowded classrooms.
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The main priorities then, Bergman says, were to update the residences and build a new academic centre.
MEETING THE DEMANDS OF A NEW GENERATION According to Glen Lombard, Director, Office of Student Experience, transforming the student experience needed to be about encouraging intellectual discovery and innovation, while also supporting the University’s reputation as a leading Roman Catholic, liberal arts post-secondary institution. “Before the master campus plan, we were always retrofitting spaces designed for other purposes to adapt to the evolving needs of today’s students,” Lombard says. “With the opportunity to begin with a blank canvas, we were able to design spaces that students have been asking for and dreaming about.” “From a real do-it-yourself creative makerspace — with 3D printing and the tools at students’ fingertips to ignite their creativity — to recreational facilities and community spaces designed to foster the deep connections that have always been a mainstay at this University, every element of how our spaces were designed and built was done with the future in mind.”
CAMPUS RENEWAL PROJECT: THE HIGHLIGHTS The $47-million campus renewal project, designed to promote excellence in scholarship, research, and creative activity, is transforming not only the student experience but also the entire future of the University.
AMONG THE HIGHLIGHTS: • A new residence complex, consisting of Ryan Hall and Siegfried Hall, with: – 360 beds – Offer both single and double rooms – Bedrooms upstairs and communal space on the ground floor for a more “house-like” feel • A new academic centre with: – A large atrium – Six classrooms: - Three large with fixed seating (one 300-seat, a 125-seat and a 90-seat) - Three smaller with flexible seating for 50 to 60 people • A wellness centre with a gym, fitness room, and change rooms • A fully renovated community centre • The former residence Sweeney Hall is being fully renovated: – The entire upper floor will house offices for academic staff – The south end of the lower floor will be home to the President’s Office and Administration – The north arm houses all the student support services • The Fireside Lounge is now an off-campus student hub • The J.R. Finn Residence will be repurposed into a collaborative space known as the Discovery Lab
• The existing Classrooms and Library Building will meet the needs of a library expansion and seminar rooms • The Notre Dame Chapel will have a prominent place on campus — the space formerly known as Siegfried Hall — and is expected to be renovated next summer
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LIBRARY
IT’S ALL ABOUT COLLABORATION: CREATING A HUB OF RESEARCH AND KNOWLEDGE The library at St. Jerome’s University has long been a catalyst for inquiry and learning. But as education and research trends continue to evolve, it too must keep up with the times. According to Zack MacDonald, the librarian facilitating the library renewal, building a collaborative research and learning hub is the main focus of plans to expand and renovate the space. A needs assessment and initial concept have been drawn up, a design concept is in progress, and it is hoped that work on the existing space will begin by summer 2018. “We know where we need to go, but what the new space ultimately looks like will be decided over the coming year,” MacDonald says. The goal is to transform the library into something more in line with evolving trends in teaching and learning.
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“It’s not the classroom or their residence room, it’s that third place where people can come together to break down barriers,” MacDonald says. “Collaboration and social learning spaces are two areas that the library is currently lacking in, and those types of spaces are definitely a priority for the new space.”
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As part of the overall campus renewal, the plan is to expand the library into the second floor of the Classrooms and Library Building. The goal is to improve the student experience in two ways: foster collaboration and allow for better service. “We’re hoping to give students the tools to look at their academic pursuits in different ways,” MacDonald says. “We want to get them to think more creatively about how they’re engaging in their course work. To do this, we want to create flexible, comfortable, and diverse study spaces that foster more collaboration and creativity.” “We are also looking to redesign our service points with a big focus on accessibility and more of a streamlined approach. We’re looking to get our library staff more engaged with library users, getting out from behind the traditional reference desk and really working on our outreach and programming.” Because we’re a small library, students can interact with staff on a very personal level. Being able to enhance that is the goal - to be able to bring our expertise to them.”
“It’s hard to learn when you’re in a small classroom with concrete walls and no windows. These new classrooms are bigger, brighter, the chairs are comfier — that alone can make a huge difference to how students learn.” — Speech Communication and Business student Rachel Warner
STUDENTS ALREADY FEELING THE DIFFERENCE Fourth-year Speech Communication and Business student, student leader, and campus experience guide Rachel Warner echoes Lombard’s enthusiasm, saying the renewal project is already having a positive impact on student life. She likes that the new academic building is accessible for people with mobility issues, and that it has plenty of areas for study and larger classrooms more suited to learning. “It’s hard to learn when you’re in a small classroom with concrete walls and no windows,” Warner says. “These new classrooms are bigger, brighter, the chairs are comfier — that alone can make a huge difference to how students learn.” And even with the larger residence and increased student numbers, Warner is pleased the University is still able to foster a sense of community that is unique to smaller campuses. “There are challenges when you increase in size and space,” Warner says. “Even though we have more students, we also have more physical spaces that can really help bring those people together.” “The first floor of the residence is all community space. The idea is that when people come back after class, they can see their friends playing pool in the games room or making a snack. The building was designed with that in mind. We have great spaces now: the games room, TV lounges, a gymnasium, and a fitness studio. We’re really working on what kinds of things we can offer students in terms of health and wellness.”
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NEW BUILDING METHODOLOGY A “LEAP OF FAITH” As a university federated with the University of Waterloo, St. Jerome’s University isn’t eligible for capital grants from the government, which made it especially critical that any build be delivered on time and on budget. Darren Becks, Vice President Administration, was instrumental in bringing the entire project forward using an innovative methodology that has given the University’s profile a huge boost. “My mission was to deliver on budget and on time in a way that had minimal impact on our operations,” Becks says. “It was a leap of faith in many respects because we asked both our Board and our community to embrace a completely different methodology.” The building and renovation project employed what’s known as Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), a model that requires contractors, architects, and trade partners to place their profit at risk to drive project outcomes. Traditional construction projects often veer wildly off course, but the idea is that IPD projects unfold more smoothly because of the real restraints that force collaboration and transparency. Each partner must subscribe to the same philosophy: that efficiencies can be found to eliminate waste and save time and money. “We had to throw ourselves into it and work with a number of different partners,” Becks adds. “We measured everything: labour by the day, task commitments by day and week, total project resource requirements by trade, day, week, and month. We graphed and tracked everything — and if someone was trending outside where they needed to be, we’d sit down and discuss it.”
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“This is a huge win for us. There were a number of people who were very skeptical that we could turn the industry on its head and have this level of success. St. Jerome’s University is a small player but in many respects that gave us the opportunity to be more nimble.” — Darren Becks, Vice President Administration
“THIS IS A HUGE WIN FOR US” Becks says he’s thrilled with what he describes as an exceptional facility that far exceeds what could have been built using traditional methodologies. “This is a huge win for us,” he says. “I bought into the concept but I needed to make it happen. There were a number of people who were very skeptical that we could turn the industry on its head and have this level of success. This University is a small player, but in many respects that gave us the opportunity to be more nimble.” Bergman says the design process yielded over $2 million in value-added improvements and innovations, and the final build will increase the life cycles of buildings and equipment. As only the second IPD initiative in Canada and the first for a post-secondary institution, it has put St. Jerome’s University in the position of being sought out by other academic institutions and government departments eager for its expertise and advice. “That for me on a personal level has been very rewarding, that we were able to accomplish something impactful enough that people recognize that St. Jerome’s University and its team of people could do something out of the box,” Becks says.
THE CHAPEL: A CRITICAL PIECE OF THE OVERALL PLAN A commitment to educating the whole person is one of the things that makes St. Jerome’s University different. That’s why giving the chapel a place of prominence has been so critical to the overall campus renewal plan — not only for the students but also for the broader community that attends Mass at the University. Given that the Notre Dame Chapel has been repurposed, a new direction for Siegfried Hall is being welcomed with open arms: a renovation. Renovations on C.L. Siegfried Hall are now scheduled for the spring of 2017, with a special celebration to inaugurate the chapel as designated worship space tentatively scheduled for fall 2017. Martha Fauteux, Director of Campus Ministry, says the new Notre Dame Chapel is now set up — and although it’s not a finished product, she’s thrilled about the plans for its transformation. “We talk about developing the intellectual, the physical, the spiritual, and the social — this renovation will help us give attention to the spiritual dimension of our students,” Fauteux says.
“It’s about that part of our mission that talks about developing the whole person. It’s an opportunity to provide programming, liturgy, a space for students to be able to explore and deepen the spiritual part of their own being.” “It’s been a bit of a challenge to offer a quiet place the last few years. We’ve lost some of our space. We’ve had to find places to make things happen. Having a designated space for Campus Ministry, where we can offer programming … that’s just a real blessing for us.” “The neat thing about the chapel is that it’s going to be central to our campus. Part of the renovations will also include meeting rooms and open space. It will also offer a multi-faith space that meets the needs of all our students.” The former chapel is now the James & Sandra Beingessner Board and Senate Room, with renovations done in such a way that the governing members of the University will be reminded of their mission and heritage. “We kept the same ethos, including the stained glass windows,” says Bergman. “A lot of people are emotionally attached to that chapel, and historically there’s a lot of emotion invested there. It’s about connecting the present with the past. When you walk into the new academic centre, you look at the back wall of the chapel. The stonework has been made visible so that there’s that connection.”
“Having a designated space that’s ours and where we can offer the programming we want to offer … that’s just a real blessing for us.” — Director of Campus Ministry Martha Fauteux UPDATE MAGAZINE, VOLUME 34 | 13