Rutgers-Newark’s new One-Stop Student Services Center, which consolidates several resources in one bright, contemporary space, opened this week in a renovated and expanded Conklin Hall.
The center, which replaces the previous offices, located on two floors in Blumenthal Hall, includes a Call Center, and offices for Cashiering, Financial Aid, ID Services, Registrar, and Student Accounting.
It’s designed so that visitors can go seamlessly from one Enrollment Services area to another, with student guides to direct them, and “huddle rooms,” where staff from different offices can convene to work with students and families on overlapping issues.
“The team, along with our students, is brimming with excitement about our new home. One Stop is thoughtfully integrated into the student experience, placing us right in the heart of where students engage in their learning and development,’’ said Natalia Morisseau, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Enrollment Management. “We are focused on creating an inviting environment that encourages students to relax and spend quality time collaborating with our One Stop teams.’’
She added, “Many of our staff members are proud alums of Rutgers-Newark, bringing a genuine understanding of what it’s like to navigate the challenges of student life.’’
The center, on the first floor and flooded with natural light, is filled with red and black accents and symbols of school spirit, including the new campus mascot, Scarlet Raider. It features several gathering spots for students, including windowside booths, and meeting rooms that can be used by on-campus organizations.
A photo-based mural traces the building’s history from the 1940s through the present. Conklin Hall is the site of a 1969 student takeover that paved the way for Rutgers-Newark to become one of the nation’s most diverse universities. That milestone is honored as well.
“The location and One Stop principles are not by chance. It builds upon the Conklin Hall Liberation legacy and call to action in 1969. The new design permits the Enrollment Management team members to provide enhanced services to students and families within a state-of-the-art facility,’’ said Rutgers-Newark Interim Chancellor Jeffrey Robinson. “The Enrollment Management and Institutional Planning and Operations teams have worked incredibly hard to bring the One Stop vision to life.’’
The transformation encompasses 12,000 square feet of renovations and a 6,500 square foot addition. The One Stop design was created in response to student feedback gathered through focus groups during Rutgers-Newark’s 2014 strategic planning process. Students voiced a need for services to be more readily accessible and located in closer proximity to each other, along with more space for students who commute.
In addition to student services and lounge areas, the center holds conference rooms and the Conklin Hall 100 lecture classroom, which will reopen at the start of the fall semester. There are quiet spaces where public-facing staff can go to work without distractions, and thoughtful details, such as small coat closets for individual staffers.
Feedback on the design included perspectives from several units at Rutgers-Newark, including Enrollment Services & Experience, Institutional Planning & Operations, the School of Arts and Sciences Newark, and the Division of Student Affairs.
